Peter Palmer: Ram Power Wagon 75th Anniversary Edition Pays Homage to American Service Personnel

If you have seen the window sticker for a newer Ram truck, you will probably notice the tag line “Built to Serve.” The Power Wagon 75th Anniversary Edition is a further extension of that mentality, inspired by the men and women of the U.S. Military. Earlier in 2020, Ram released their lastest Built to Serve Edition truck and follows it now with the Power Wagon 75th Anniversary Edition. The first-generation Power Wagons were civilian versions of Dodge’s W/C series trucks (often called “Beeps”) that assisted on the Allied front during World War II.

To celebrate Veterans Day this month (November 11th), Ram is rolling out the new Power Wagon 75th Anniversary Edition. This big rig pays tribute to a uniquely American linage of service while also tossing in some cool color combinations and fun off-road goodies.

Exterior Styling & Color Options

Exterior features include a “75 Years of Service” badge, Gunmetal R-A-M grille lettering, Diamond Black door and tailgate graphics, and Diamond Black sidesteps that also double as rock rails. A total of 11 exterior colors are available, all but one of which is two-tone (Diamond Black is monotone).

Two-tone exterior colors: Maximum Steel Metallic, Granite Crystal Metallic, Billet Silver Metallic, Patriot Blue, Delmonico Red, Flame Red, Bright White, Olive Green, Molten Orange, and Anvil Gray.

2021 Ram Power Wagon 75th Anniversary Edition. Photo: FCA US LLC.

Hydro Blue Option

There is one color I didn’t mention yet: Hydro Blue. At the San Antonio Auto and Truck Show in 2017, Ram pulled the cover off the 1500 Hydro Blue Sport. It eventually debuted as a 2018 model, but with a super limited production run of just 2,000 units. Of all the special editions Ram has done, the 1500 Hydro Blue Sport is still one of my favorites.

I was thrilled to see that Hydro Blue Sport is one of the available two-tone colors for the Ram Power Wagon 75th Anniversary Edition. I will have to keep my eyes open now in hopes I will see one traversing around here in Michigan.

2018 Ram 1500 Hydro Blue Sport. Hydro Blue is an available color for the Power Wagon 75th Anniversary Edition.

Off-Road Goodies

Very few things are likely to stand in the way of the Ram Power Wagon 75th Anniversary Edition. It’s loaded with tons of fun toys like a factory lift kit, electronic transfer case, locking front and rear differentials, electronic disconnecting front sway bar, and a 12,000-lbs. WARN Zeon-12 winch with a synthetic line. The rugged 33-inch tires are married to 17-inch aluminum beadlock-capable wheels.

Big Engine & Big Power

Under the hood of every Ram Power wagon is a 6.4-liter HEMI V8 (sometimes referred to as “the 392” because of its cubic inch displacement). The heavy-duty engine features a deep-skirt cast-iron block with cross-bolted main bearing caps, pushrod-operated overhead valves, and the patented hemispherical combustion chambers. The 6.4-Hemi creates 410 horsepower and 429 lb-ft. of torque.

Interior Treatments

Mountain Brown leather, gloss black finishes, dark brushed aluminum accents, and special “Power Wagon 75” logos and door inserts adorn the interior. The 12-inch configurable screen houses the Uconnect 4C NAV system with SiriusXM 360L. A 750-watt, 17-speaker Harman Kardon sound system is standard.

Drivers can scroll through the off-road pages to see their accessory gauges and view valuable data like ride height, transfer case position, and pitch and roll. A 360-degree camera, which includes forward-view gridlines, will help with off-road maneuvers or when trying to park.

2021 Ram Power Wagon 75th Anniversary Edition interior layout.

Pricing & Availability

The Ram Power Wagon 75th Anniversary Edition has a starting MSRP of $65,250, plus $1,695 destination. Expect the rig to arrive in the fourth quarter of 2020. In addition to the Power Wagon, Ram has been on a roll when it comes to capable, off-road trucks. The new TRX 1500 is now an option, and the Rebel is always a good choice if you want a fun truck to cruise around in.

Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and a member of the Midwest Automotive Media Association and the Society of Automotive Historians. He serves on the board of directors for the Ally Jolie Baldwin Foundation, is a past president of Detroit Working Writers, and a loyal Detroit Lions fan.