This is an incredibly well-preserved 1993 Dodge Ramcharger Canyon Sport that’s been kept in heated storage since new, and has covered just 37,000 miles in the last 31 years.
Only 200 examples of this model were made, making it one of the rarer special edition 4x4s of its time. It was fitted with the redesigned 5.2 liter Dodge V8 that had a slew of improvements, and produced 230 bhp and 280 lb ft of torque. This was enough to send the vehicle from 0 – 60 mph in a whisker over 10 seconds.
Fast Facts – The Dodge Ramcharger Canyon Sport
- The Dodge Ramcharger was introduced in 1974 as a belated response to the success of other American 4x4s like the International Harvester Scout and Ford Bronco. Known initially as the “Rhino” during its development phase, it was based on a shortened version of the Chrysler AD truck platform.
- The Ramcharger was originally available only in a 4×4 configuration, with a two-door, full-size steel body and an option between a fabric or removable steel roof. Its production spanned nearly two decades across two generations, ending in 1993, as consumer preferences were shifting towards more road-biased SUVs.
- In the early 1990s Dodge celebrated the end of the Ramcharger production by releasing a special limited edition called the Canyon Sport. This edition was limited to just 200 units and featured upgrades such as a two-tone paint job, a body-colored grille, special alloy wheels, a plush interior, air-conditioning, and faux wood trim.
- The 1993 Dodge Ramcharger Canyon Sport was equipped with a redesigned 5.2 liter Dodge V8 engine, delivering 230 bhp and 280 lb ft of torque. This gave the vehicle a 0 to 60 mph time of just over 10 seconds, relatively good given the 4,823 lb curb weight.
History Speedrun: The Dodge Ramcharger
The surprising success of the International Harvester Scout, and the Ford Bronco that followed soon after, lit a fire under America’s other big automakers, and they soon developed their own competing models. Chevrolet would land on the scene with their K5 Blazer in 1969, Dodge and Plymouth would arrive late to the party in 1974 with the platform sharing Dodge Ramcharger and Plymouth Trail Duster.
Above Video: This 1993 commercial shows the Dodge Ramcharger in its final year of US production. The vehicle in the ad looks a lot like the Dodge Ramcharger Canyon Sport shown in this article, with the same two-tone color combination, interior color, and alloy wheels.
The Dodge Ramcharger was known as the “Rhino” during development, it was based on the Chrysler AD truck platform sharing the engine, transmission, suspension, and brakes, with the chassis shortened by nine inches.
At the time of its release, the Ramcharger was available only as a 4×4, and a lower cost rear-wheel drive version would come along later. The vehicle was given a full-size steel body with two doors, and a fabric top or an optional removable steel roof.
The second generation Dodge Ramcharger would debut in 1981, following the redesign of the D-series pickup, and it was given revised body styling that closely referenced the earlier vehicle. It would be this second gen model that would have the longest production run of any Dodge Ramcharger version, running from 1981 until 1993 when the series was discontinued.
The Chevy Blazer would leave production a year later in 1994, and the Ford Bronco would be shelved a couple of years after that in 1996 as American consumer tastes changed, leaving towards more comfortable, road-biased SUVs.
The Ramcharger would make an unlikely comeback in 1998 in Mexico on the Dodge Ram pickup platform, but production would cease once again in 2001. That might have been the end for the model family, and many thought it was, but in late 2023 it was announced that the Ramcharger nameplate would be returning to full production as a new plug-in hybrid version of the 2025 Ram 1500.
The Dodge Ramcharger Canyon Sport
Production of the Dodge Ramcharger was slated to end in 1993 after almost 20 years and two model generations. In order to send it off with a bang, it was decided that a new special limited edition version would be developed, just 200 would be produced, and it would be called the Dodge Ramcharger Canyon Sport.
Dodge clearly had a lot of confidence in the reliability of the Ramcharger, offering the first 5 year, 50,000 mile truck warranty in American history in 1985. Image courtesy of Dodge Trucks.
The Dodge styling division would throw everything they had at the new version, creating the highest-trim level for the time, including a two-tone paint job, a body-colored grille, special alloy wheels, plush seats, faux wood trim on the dashboard, a 4-speed automatic transmission (with an optional 5-speed manual), air-conditioning, and some optional add ons like an AM/FM/cassette stereo, power windows, locks, and mirrors.
Dodge would have no problem selling all 200 examples, and those that have survived to the modern day are starting to enter modern classic territory, with their 30th birthday still close in the rear vision mirror.
The 1993 Dodge Ramcharger Canyon Sport Shown Here
The vehicle you see here is the best-preserved original example of the Dodge Ramcharger Canyon Sport that we’ve seen in recent memory. Many have been neglected over the years, but this one has enjoyed a life of relative luxury, stored in a heated garage and only used sparingly – having covered a little over 1,000 miles per year on average since it was new.
It’s finished in dar green over tan two-tone paintwork, with a velour tan interior featuring tan vinyl door trim, a center console with cup holders, and faux wood trim on the dashboard. It’s believed that a maximum of 40 Ramcharger Canyon Sports were finished in each color combination, and this one still has the original alloy wheels fitted.
The interior is similar to that used in the period Bronco, with opulent front bucket seats a center console, and a removable rear bench seat.
It’s fitted with air-conditioning, power brakes, power steering, 3.55 limited-slip rear gears, power windows, power locks, a rear window defogger, four-wheel drive, and it has the 4-speed automatic transmission.
It’s now due to roll across the auction block with Mecum on the 11th of May, at the time of writing there’s no price guide listed. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Mecum
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
