Production of the newer Ram 1500 takes place in Sterling Heights, so the Warren Truck plant will be reduced from two shifts to one and will focus on the Jeep Wagoneer.
from Chris Chilton
August 12, 2024 at 18:20
- Stellantis will lay off 2,450 employees at its truck plant in Warren near Detroit when production of the Ram 1500 Classic ends.
- The new Ram 1500 will be built in Sterling Heights, which means Warren will only build the Jeep Wagoneer.
- Warren, which employs a total of around 3,900 people, will switch from two-shift to one-shift operations in its main assembly line.
This is the end for the Ram 1500 Classic and also for the team of Stellantis employees who build it. The automaker has confirmed that it will lay off 2,450 workers from its truck plant in Warren in October.
Although Ram launched a new 1500 in 2018, the 1500 Classic remained as a budget option. But that lifeline has been retired, 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, it’s not as easy for the folks who build the Classic, as the 2025 Tradesman, like other Ram 1500s, will be produced in Sterling Heights rather than at Warren Truck.
Warren, which currently employs about 3,900 workers, 3,700 of whom are represented by the UAW, has yet to build the Jeep Wagoneer. But the main assembly plant will switch from a two-shift to a single-shift model, while other plants will remain on two-shift to support Wagoneer production. Union members will receive 52 weeks of unemployment benefits and two years of health insurance. Reuters reports.
The Classic dates back to 2009, and when it dies, so does your chance to buy a Stellantis product powered by the automaker’s legendary 5.7-liter Hemi V8. The Hemi’s place in the new 1500 will be taken for 2025 by the turbocharged Hurricane inline-six, which Stellantis says offers lower running costs.
The new 1500’s more modern platform also allows Ram to incorporate enhanced safety and convenience features such as Forward Collision Warning Plus and adaptive cruise control, as well as tracking systems that are increasingly being used by fleets to keep an eye on their vehicles.
Although production of the Classic ends this year, Ram dealers will still sell remaining units through the 2025 model year. A base 24MY 1500 Classic with a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 is currently listed on Ram’s website for $38,705, while the cheapest version of the 2025 1500 Tradesman has an MSRP of $40,275.
