Background

• At the dawn of the 1970s, Ford began a relationship with the Japan-based Mazda that resulted in the development of the compact Ford Courier pickup, which later became the Ford Ranger. General Motors partnered with Toyota in 1984 to create New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc., or NUMMI. GM also developed an earlier joint venture with Isuzu, which resulted in the rebadged Chevrolet Luv pickup. Dodge asked Mitsubishi to develop a compact pickup to import to North America as a Dodge product. Like Ford and GM, Chrysler and Dodge had no experience in producing small cars and trucks; Dodge sought Mitsubishi's expertise in fuel-efficient technology. The Dodge D-50 arrived in 1979 -- it was not a true Dodge truck, but simply a rebadged Mitsubishi; however, it gave Dodge buyers a compact pickup during the gas crunch and paved the way for the arrival of the Dodge Dakota.
  
  

D-50

• Mitsubishi Motors imported its compact truck as the Dodge D-50 in 1979. After 1986, Dodge rebadged it as the Ram 50. The truck sat on a 109-inch wheelbase and featured a 6.5-foot cargo box, like the full-size Dodge half-ton pickups. It could accommodate a 1,400-pound. payload. Under the hood was a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that later powered Chrysler's own entry into the compact car market with the low-cost K cars. Mitsubishi and Dodge developed the D-50 to feature A-arm front suspension, giving the truck passenger-car comfort over rough roads, but a conventional rear leaf spring suspension to ensure stability while carrying a load. The base transmission was a four-speed manual, while higher trim levels received a five-speed manual. Dodge changed the base engine to a 2-liter four-cylinder in 1980, but offered a 2.6-liter four-cylinder for the Sport D-50.
  
  

Ram 50

• For the 1987 model year, the D-50 became the Ram 50. It was still a Mitsubishi product imported as a Dodge. The standard bed remained 6.5 feet long, but an optional cargo box featured an extra 16 inches in length. Both beds were 55.7 inches wide. The Ram 50 featured an adjustable steering column, carpeting and tinted glass. Four-wheel-drive came standard with the Power Ram version. The four-wheel Dodge Raider model came with the 2.6-liter engine as the standard power plant. It had extras, such as tow and cargo hooks, front and rear mudguards, automatic locking front hubs and skid plates.
  
  

Mitsubishi Diesels

• Even before the D-50 and Ram 50 became a reality, Dodge had already decided that diesel engines would help bring its full-size trucks closer to fuel efficiency. In 1978, Dodge equipped its full-size half- and three-quarter-ton pickups, which were original Dodge trucks, with optional Mitsubishi 4-liter six-cylinder diesel engines that developed 105 horsepower and capable of a fuel efficiency of 20 mpg.