Ram posts record sales in Australia as US pick-ups hit overdrive

Ram Trucks Australia has outsold stablemate Jeep for the ninth month in a row locally, as US pick-ups continue to set new records Down Under.

Australians are continuing to embrace US pick-ups in huge numbers as the latest figures from Ram and Chevrolet show new record highs.

Data released today by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries shows Ram reported 766 pick-ups as sold last month – its ninth month in a row outselling stablemate Jeep and its highest year-to-date tally at this point in the sales race.

The Ram Trucks Australia tally of 766 vehicles for May 2023 follows previous records in November 2022 (710), October 2022 (657), June 2022 (633), and June 2020 (604).

Arch rival Chevrolet also posted record pick-up sales in Australia last month – with 314 examples reported as sold in May 2023 (versus just 33 Corvettes). This helped drive Chevrolet Silverado sales to a May year-to-date record of 1139 (up 49.2 per cent).

However, despite the success of Chevrolet, it is still outsold locally by more than two-to-one by Ram (2984 versus 1139).

Ram Trucks Australia’s record run is a stark contrast to the woes of its US stablemate Jeep, which has reported a 27 per cent slump to just 2014 new vehicles as sold so far this year and ranks 31st behind truck company Hino on the official sales tally.

As previously reported, the surge in sales of US pick-ups has not gone unnoticed by Toyota and Ford, both of whom are poised to join the booming segment later this year.

Ford says it is on track to start local deliveries of the F-150 in the second half of this year, while the Toyota Tundra is due to formally go on sale next year if a trial of the first 300 validation vehicles proves successful.

As is the case with Ram Trucks Australia and Chevrolet pick-ups – which are remanufactured from left- to right-hand drive in Melbourne by the Walkinshaw Automotive Group, the former parent company of Holden Special Vehicles – the Ford and Toyota will be converted locally.

Above: Toyota Tundra testing in the Australian outback last year.

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