The Dodge Rampage pickup had a twin for exactly one year. In 1983, Plymouth dealers got their own version, called the Scamp, and it disappeared before the 1984 models arrived. Fewer than 3,600 of them found buyers.
Both trucks came from the same small-car parts bin at Chrysler. They used the bones of a front-drive economy coupe with a pickup bed behind the cab. As a result, the pair ended up as a short, odd chapter for two brands.
Here is how the Rampage started, why Plymouth wanted one, what the twins cost and how few of them Chrysler sold.
How the Dodge Rampage pickup began
Dodge unveiled the Rampage in December 1981 as a 1982 model, according to Mac’s Motor City Garage. The site describes it as an adaptation of the Dodge Omni 024 on Chrysler’s subcompact L-body platform. Autoblog traces the same platform back to the Simca-derived Dodge Omni.
Front-wheel drive came along with that platform. In fact, the layout stuck to the name for decades. When Dodge showed a Rampage concept in 2006, autoEvolution notes, the much larger show truck “still employed front-wheel drive.”
The truck shared more than a floorpan with the coupe. According to autoEvolution, it used front-end body panels and other trim from the Omni 024. However, JD Power says the Rampage got its own leaf springs and shock absorbers at the rear to carry the bed.
One engine, three gearboxes and a half-ton rating
Buyers had no engine choice. Mac’s says the only one offered was Chrysler’s 2.2-liter overhead-cam four. Autoblog rates the carbureted version in the Rampage and Scamp at 84 horsepower. Meanwhile, autoEvolution adds that the engine was later upgraded to 96 horsepower.
The gearbox list grew over time. At launch, Mac’s says, the choices were a four-speed manual and a three-speed automatic. Then, for 1983, a five-speed manual joined the list.
The bed was small but useful. Specifically, Mac’s lists a 63-inch load floor and a load capacity of 1,145 pounds. That figure gave the truck what autoEvolution calls “a true half-ton rating.” For comparison, the same outlet puts the Chevrolet El Camino at 1,250 pounds.
Plymouth gets its twin for 1983
Plymouth needed a small pickup of its own. According to Autoblog, the Scamp took over from the Plymouth Arrow pickup, which ended after 1982. The name was not new, either. Plymouth had used Scamp on Valiant two-door hardtops from 1971 through 1976, Autoblog notes.
The twin was easy to spot from the front. Autoblog says the Scamp wore the nose of the Plymouth Turismo, a sporty version of the Horizon hatchback. Otherwise, it was nearly identical to the Dodge.
Plymouth sold it in two trims. In total, Mac’s counts 2,184 base Scamps and 1,380 Scamp GTs. Together, that makes 3,564 trucks, the same total Autoblog and autoEvolution give for the Scamp’s only model year.
What a 1983 Rampage cost new
The price was a big part of the pitch. In a 2022 junkyard find, The Truth About Cars says a 1983 Rampage with the base four-speed listed at $6,683. The five-speed cost $75 more, and the three-speed automatic added $439, according to the same piece.
Meanwhile, the 2.2 earned decent mileage. JD Power lists the Rampage at 21 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway. On the other hand, the TTAC car carried an 83-horsepower rating for its 2.2, one less than Autoblog’s figure.
How many Dodge Rampage pickups Chrysler sold
The numbers fell quickly after the first year. Mac’s puts Rampage sales at 17,636 for 1982, then 8,033 for 1983 and 11,732 for 1984. Added together, that is 37,401 Dodges over three model years. JD Power gives the same yearly figures and says Chrysler dropped the truck as demand for car-style pickups faded.
By comparison, the Scamp’s single year looks even smaller. Its 3,564 sales were less than half of what the Dodge managed in its weakest year. Small car-based pickups were leaving the market at the same time, too. TTAC notes that Volkswagen’s Rabbit pickup was getting the ax alongside the Rampage.
The Scamp also closed a chapter for its brand. According to TTAC, it “ended up being the very last Plymouth-badged new truck” sold in the United States. Its final tally, by Mac’s count, was 2,184 base Scamps and 1,380 Scamp GTs.
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