Nobody had more fun in the classic muscle car era than Dodge, with eye-catching trim options on their vehicles. The Charger Daytona, the Coronet Super Bee, and the Challenger T/A are some of the coolest and most memorable variants of the time. What people may not remember is that Dodge had a little fun branding their pickup trucks too.
Starting with ultra-rare Dude, Dodge quietly produced some extremely fun trims in their truck lineup. When the company was stuck in a rut making awful K-cars and Omnis, the truck division was cranking out the Lil Red Express and Warlock "muscle trucks." More recently, Dodge put out some special edition Rams, with a nod to the classic era of fun trims.
Dude, Where's My Truck? The Dodge D-100 Dude Sports Trim Package
In 1970, Dodge introduced a paint and tape option on the D-100 Sweptline 1/2-ton pickup called "The Dude Sports Trim Package." The truck featured full-length body-side, C-shaped stripes, with a Dude hat logo at the rear. To power the Dude, the 225-cid Slant Six, 318-cid small-block V-8 or ferocious 383 V-8 options were available.
Dodge obviously spent some time and money coming up with this, including paying comedian Don Knotts to promote it, but they, for some reason, never really got behind this great trim package. Only 1,000 or so Dudes were produced between ’71 and ’72, and in fact, no one is quite sure of how many of these collectible trucks were ever made.
For the 2004 SEMA show in Las Vegas, Chrysler's SkunkWerks made a one-off Dude out of a reconfigured Dodge Durango SUV with a Ram SRT-10 hood and front end. This nifty Franken-truck was painted PPG Tangerine Pearl and was powered by a naturally aspirated 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 engine. Sadly, Dodge failed to deliver an incredibly cool truck to the masses as it never want into production.
The Wicked Dodge D-100 Warlock
Starting with a limited run in 1976, and going into full production in 1977, Dodge introduced a special trim package for the D-100, known as the Warlock. Distinguished by gold pinstripes, chrome running boards, real oak sideboards, and eight-spoke gold wheels, this was one wicked-looking pickup.
Whether in either 2x4 or 4x4, the Warlock came available with every engine in Chrysler's line-up, from the 225ci Slant Six up to the 400ci big block wedge. A handful may have even been built with the massive 440. For reasons that were never explained, Dodge changed the name of the Warlock in 1979, the last year of production, to the Warlock II.
In 2019, Dodge reintroduced this awesome truck with the Ram 1500 Classic Warlock. While it didn't feature any of the cool pinstripes or decals of the original, it did come with an available 5.7-liter HEMI V8, cranking out 410 pound-feet of torque and 395 horsepower. As of 2022, the Warlock is the top trim package for the Ram 1500.
The Dodge Li'l Red Express Was Faster Than A Chevrolet Corvette
For 1978, Dodge brought out another variation on the D-100 truck, named the Li'l Red Express. With a bright red paint job, flared side bed, and chrome vertical exhaust stacks, it was one of the most striking trucks ever built.
It was also the fastest thing on the street at the time. Thanks to a loophole, the Li'l Red Express didn't need a catalytic converter and could utilize all the power of its High Performance 360 C.I. 4-barrel small block engine. In 1978 this Li'l Dodge Truck was the fastest American-made vehicle from 0-100 MPH, better than the Corvette and the Trans Am.
Dodge only made 2,188 of these trucks in the first year of production, and many went unsold. By 1979 however, production was ramped up to 5118 trucks, and the public was a little more receptive. By 1979, the Li'l Red Express had to be detuned a bit because of emissions standards, so the '78 is the one to own.
Return Of The Super Bee: The Dodge RAM 1500 Rumble Bee
The Dodge Coronet Super Bee, made between 1969 and 1970, is one of the most desired muscle cars Detroit ever cranked out. Even when the Super Bee badge was moved to the Charger in 1971, it was still a fast and fun car to drive. In 2004, Dodge paid homage to this beloved option with the Ram 1500 Rumble Bee.
Keeping with the bee concept, the Rumble Bee was available in either yellow with a black stripe or black with a yellow stripe. Either way, the truck featured a bee decal, reminiscent of the Super Bee "Scat Pack" logo.
It may have been better if Dodge had put the 6.1L Hemi V8 in the Rumble Bee, but the 345 horsepower 5.7L Hemi wasn't bad. It also would have been nice if Dodge hadn't discontinued this killer truck in 2005, only making around 10,000.
Dodge Knows How To Have Fun With Trucks
Obviously, Dodge knows how to have some fun with the trim packages on their pickups. Sticking with that fun, however, is another story. All of these memorable trucks were produced with fairly limited numbers, and that probably has something to do with consumer demand.
Ironically, the Dude, Warlock, Li'l Red Express, and even the Rumble Bee are now highly sought after. The low production numbers have made them rare and prized collectibles.