Modern off-road vehicles are great because they combine highly useful conveniences (such as heated seats and Bluetooth) with capable four-wheel-drive hardware. Properly equipped, they can almost drive themselves on a trail, only requiring steering inputs from the driver. But old-school trucks and SUVs are just as appealing for their simplicity and ruggedness. Our Pick of the Day is a great example. You can find this 1985 Dodge Ramcharger 4×4 listed on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in Denver, Colorado.
Long before automakers started offering SUVs with sports car-like performance and/or coupe-like rooflines, they made boxy, body-on-frame rigs that were more at home in the wilderness than on a racetrack. For decades, people who needed a capable vehicle to get them over tough terrain could choose from the Chevrolet K5 Blazer, Ford Bronco, International Scout, and Dodge Ramcharger. Introduced as a 1974 model, the original Ramcharger came standard with full-time four-wheel drive and was available with a removable steel roof and an insulated center console that could double as a cooler. Dodge went on to make two generations of the Ramcharger, which extended into the 1993 model year—outside of Mexico, at least. Buyers south of the border were able to buy a third-gen version styled like the second-generation Dodge Ram.
The ’85 Ramcharger profiled here is hard to miss—not only because of its two-box shape and dimensions but also because of its bright orange paint, which almost renders the use of a whip flag while off-roading unnecessary. A black grille insert and black badges tone things down a little without making this look like a Halloween-themed build. It’s also hard to look at this Ramcharger and not daydream about splashing water and flinging dirt on its vibrant finish during an adventure through the great outdoors.
The ribbed tan vinyl interior is the perfect complement to the citrus-y exterior and looks as if it would be easy to clean after a day of driving through mud. Aside from the manual windows, everything else looks geared toward comfort and convenience, from power steering and brakes to the (inoperable) factory air conditioning and modern stereo.
This Ramcharger also comes from an age when SUVs had V8s, not turbo fours or sixes. Power from the carbureted 318ci V8 reaches the dirt and rocks through a three-speed automatic and a two-speed transfer case.
Where this 1985 Dodge Ramcharger 4×4 goes once it’s on a trail is up to you. For $21,900, you can decide.
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com
