Harvey Retzack figures that sooner or later the rest of the world might realize that Chrysler Corp. was on to something good back in 1982.
That was the year the company went against the grain and launched its funky Rampage pickup — a little front-wheel-drive hauler that was just a blip on the automotive landscape and fuzzy memory to many car folks. Retzack has one of the few that you’ll see on the road these days, and the longer he owns it, the more he is convinced the featherweight Rampage was a rock star that just never got discovered.
“People say, ‘Did you cut that down from a station wagon?’” laughs Retzack. “Most people have never heard of it or seen it. Dodge did not do a good job of impressing it on the market or impressing it on the world. People didn’t know these were [available], unfortunately. That’s the sad thing — in 1982, ’83, ’84, a vehicle for under $4,000 that would haul a half-ton of stuff and still get 30 mpg. I don’t know why they didn’t sell like hot cakes. I’m sure Chrysler was scratching their heads, too. They just didn’t sell.”
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