'RAM' Trucks Were Named After Male Sheep, Not Hindu Deity - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 7, 2023
An image of a vehicle with the name ‘RAM’ visibly inscribed on it is being widely shared on social media claiming that the USA has introduced a new car under the brand name ‘RAM,’ by naming it after the Hindu deity Ram. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: USA has launched a new vehicle called ‘RAM’ which was named after Hindu deity Ram.
Fact: The image depicts a pickup truck released under the brand ‘RAM’. These kinds of trucks were initially introduced in the 1980s by the American company Dodge and designated as the ‘Dodge RAM’ truck. In this context, the term RAM is derived from the male sheep, also known as a ram, symbolizing sturdy vehicles, and not linked to any Hindu deity. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
First and foremost, conducting a reverse image search on the viral image has unveiled that the vehicle portrayed in the image is a pickup truck manufactured under the ‘RAM’ brand by Stellantis, a multinational automobile manufacturing corporation.
Further examination of the brand’s historical background reveals that the Ram trucks were initially introduced in the 1980s by the American automobile company Dodge, labelled as ‘Dodge RAM’ Trucks. In this context, the term ‘RAM’ signifies the male sheep, an animal, rather than the Hindu deity.
Although Dodge had been producing trucks since 1917, it was the 1981 pickups that initially showcased the ‘RAM’ designation. Dodge had employed a ram’s head hood ornament as early as 1933 to epitomize its trucks as robust vehicles. This emblem was discontinued in the 1950s but was subsequently revived for the 1981 models. Dodge’s marketing team chose to name the trucks after this tough beast and reintroduced the former mascot.
However, RAM was established as a distinct brand, albeit under the same company, through a separation from Dodge in 2009. Currently, these pickup trucks exclusively bear the name ‘RAM’. There is no mention anywhere that this name is derived from any deity; it simply employs the term of the animal to symbolize the vehicle’s strength and potency.
To sum it up, the RAM trucks produced by Stellantis Corporation were named after the male sheep, rather than a Hindu deity.