2014 Ram 3500 Tradesman on 2040-cars

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Ram extends Black Package to Heavy Duty trucks

If you liked the Black Express package Ram offers on its 1500 light-duty pickup but need the added capability of a Heavy Duty model, we've got good news for you.
This week at the Atlanta International Auto Show, the Ram truck brand is rolling out the Black package for the Ram HD 2500 and 3500 SRW. It features a sinister-looking exterior with 20-inch alloys, fog lamps, grille, front and rear bumpers and badges all blacked out. All the body-side badging has also been removed, unless you go for Cummins power, in which case you still get a chrome diesel badge on the side.
In correspondence with Autoblog, Ram spokesman Nick Cappa explained that the popularity of the Black edition light-duty truck was the impetus for the Heavy Duty edition you see here. "Ram has a reputation for going further on design and custom-looks from the factory," explained Cappa, pointing towards the Express, Sport and Longhorn editions. "This type of forward design-thinking led us to extend the aggressive appearance to the HD trucks, which in the past has been a bit more subtle."

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Ram may build more trucks with sports team tie-ins

After a rather successful foray with a Red Wings edition of the Ram 1500 last year - some 3,000 units sold - the truck brand is both re-upping its relationship with Detroit's hockey powerhouse and considering expansion into other sport franchises.
Ram announced last month that it would carry on its partnership with the Red Wings throughout the 2012-13 NHL season. The company will not offer a special edition version of the 2013 Ram, due in part to the strike-shortened NHL season. In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Ram boss Fred Diaz called the Red Wings partnership an experiment that "worked out so incredibly well, we're looking at the possibility of doing other things with other sports."
Diaz doesn't see Ram doing deals with entire leagues, but does think that other teams and cities, with a similar "rabid fan base" could make sense for co-branding. "We'll pick our spots and our moments, " said Diaz, "and if we feel like we have a good opportunity, we'll do it."