Cummins Celebrates Production of Three Millionth Diesel Engine for Ram Trucks
The iconic partnership began with the production of a 5.9-liter inline-six for the 1989 Dodge Ram.
Diesel engine manufacturer Cummins recently announced that it's officially built its three-millionth diesel engine for heavy-duty Ram pickup trucks.
Chrysler first introduced Cummins diesel-powered pickup trucks in the late '80s with the 1989 Dodge Ram, which could be ordered with a Cummins B-series engine; a 5.9-liter inline-six producing 160 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. Today, the most powerful Cummins engine available in a Ram is a monstrous 6.7-liter inline-six that produces 400 horsepower and 1,000 pound-feet of torque, and it's the same engine that's Cummins' milestone third-millionth.
The enngine was assembled last week at the manufacturer's Columbus Mid-Range Engine Plant (CMEP) in Indiana, whose 900 workers can produce up to 168,000 engines annually. Some of these workers—including some whose hiring predates Cummins' partnership with Chrysler—signed the milestone engine's cover, which bears a special "3 Millionth Engine" plaque. This engine is destined to power a loaded 2019 Ram 3500 Longhorn Crew Cab Dually 4x4, whose buyer will be identified after the truck is built. The two brands plan and delivering the truck at a special ceremony at the respective dealership.
"We are grateful to Ram for choosing Cummins-powered engines for the Ram for 30 years, and we look forward to a long partnership," said Melina Kennedy, Executive Director of Cummins Pickup Business. "From our 5.9-liter, 400 foot-pound beginnings to the 6.7-liter, 1,000 foot-pound engines available in today’s Ram pickups, Cummins and Ram lead the way in innovation, power, and durability."
Even though Cummins was the first engine supplier to push a factory pickup truck past 1,000 pound-feet of torque, it was recently dethroned by the Ford F-450 Super Duty, whose new diesel V-8 churns out 475 horsepower and 1,050 pound-feet of torque, allowing the truck to tow up to 37,000 pounds. That's not to say the Cummins-powered Ram is anything close to inadequate, of course; it's still a torque beast that'll move practically anything you need it to.