- Stellantis is cutting 2,450 workers from its Warren Truck plant near Detroit when production of the Ram 1500 Classic ends.
- The new Ram 1500 is built at Sterling Heights, meaning Warren will only build the Jeep Wagoneer.
- Warren, which employees around 3,900 people in total, will switch from a two- to one-shift pattern for general assembly.
It’s the end of the road for the Ram 1500 Classic, and also the team of Stellantis men and women that build it. The automaker has confirmed that its cutting 2,450 workers from its Warren Truck plant in October.
Though Ram launched a new 1500 in 2018, the 1500 Classic lived on as a budget option. But the lifeline has been withdrawn and the Classic’s place in Ram’s lineup will be taken by a value-optimized version of the modern 1500, the Tradesman, after the 2024 model year.
Related: Ram Kills 1500 Classic And Its Hemi 5.7-Liter V8
While Ram buyers will experience a seamless transition, things aren’t so simple for the folks that build the Classic because the 2025 Tradesman, like other Ram 1500s, isn’t produced at Warren Truck, but at Sterling Heights.
Warren, which currently employs around 3,900 people, 3,700 of which are represented by the UAW, still has the Jeep Wagoneer to build. But it’s dropping from a two- to a one-shift pattern for general assembly, with other operations sticking at two shifts to support Wagoneer production. Union members will get 52 weeks of unemployment benefit and two years of healthcare, Reuters reports.
The Classic dates back to 2009, and when it dies, so does your opportunity to buy a Stellantis product powered by the automaker’s legendary 5.7-liter Hemi V8. The Hemi’s place in the new 1500 is taken by the turbocharged Hurricane inline six for 2025, which Stellantis says offers lower running costs.
The new 1500’s more modern platform also allows Ram to fit improved safety and convenience kit like Forward Collision Warning Plus and adaptive cruise control, as well as integrate with tracking systems that fleets increasingly use to keep tabs on their vehicles.
Although Classic production ends this year, Ram dealers will still be selling leftover production into the 2025 model year. A base-spec 24MY 1500 Classic with a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 is currently listed at $38,705 on Ram’s website, while the least expensive version of the 2025 1500 Tradesman has an MSRP of $40,275.
