RAM Trucks Australia is set to begin a new chapter in local vehicle remanufacturing, announcing plans to shift operations from its current Clayton site to a larger, purpose-built facility in Dandenong, Melbourne, by November, 2025.
The move marks a major milestone for the brand, which has now locally remanufactured more than 35,000 vehicles since production began a decade ago. It also secures the positions of around 270 workers, including factory technicians, warehouse personnel, quality specialists and engineers.
The Dandenong facility will become RAM Trucks Australia’s third manufacturing site, following its original Clayton base established in 2015 and a subsequent expansion in 2017. The new plant is designed to improve workflow efficiency, production capacity, and long-term sustainability for the brand’s local operations. RAM Trucks Australia managing director Jeff Barber said:
“As you can appreciate, as the first US pick-up brand to remanufacture vehicles here in the modern era, we are proud of the part we have played in keeping local vehicle manufacturing and engineering skills alive in Australia in the wake of the closure of the Holden, Ford and Toyota factories in 2016 and 2017.”
At the heart of the local brand’s success is the RAM 1500, which has been the best-selling American pickup in Australia since around 2018. It recently underwent a major facelift, introducing a new 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline-six petrol engine. Although it replaced a cherished V8, the new unit offers more power and a lot more torque.
RAM also offers the heavy-duty 2500, featuring a 6.7-litre Cummins turbo-diesel inline-six engine, developing 276kW and a whopping 1152Nm – the most torque of any six-cylinder passenger vehicle on sale in Australia today.
