Dodge D100 Dude: The Rare 1970s Pickup That Started Mopar's Macho Truck Trend

Long before the Ram TRX and the upcoming Ram Rumble Bee, Dodge had already figured out that bold names and bold looks sell trucks. The D100 Dude from 1970-71 is proof, and it's one of the rarest Mopar pickups ever, with only an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 built.

The second-generation D100 was a legitimate work truck, offered with a 115-inch short-bed wheelbase or a 128-inch long-bed, heavy-duty leaf springs front and rear, and a solid beam front axle on rear-drive models. Base power came from a 225-cubic-inch slant-six, with 318 and 383 V8s also available, along with a three-speed automatic as the most common gearbox.

It wasn't built to be a lifestyle vehicle, but by the late 1960s customers were using D100s that way anyway, making them some of the first pavement princesses.

Dodge leaned into the trend, adding muscle-car-style striping and a bold graphics package. The company even hired The Andy Griffith Show's Don Knotts to dress up as a cowboy and market the truck as cool. The name "Dude" was a gamble because the word still carried a rebellious, leather-jacket, blue-jean image in the early 1970s.

Buyers could order the truck in Sub-Lime Green, Plum Crazy Purple, or Panther Pink, matching the paint options on Chargers and Challengers. A white or black lateral C-stripe, optional textured vinyl roof, chromed wheel covers, and cowboy-themed trim finished the package.

Mechanically, the Dude was strictly cosmetic. There was no hidden muscle-car engine or high-performance upgrade; it just needed to look the part while still working like a real truck. With most of those 1,500 to 2,000 trucks built in 1970 and only a handful more in 1971, it's a rare sight today.

That rarity also makes it considerably more valuable than a standard D100.

If Dodge ever revived the Dude nameplate, a base Pentastar V6 Tradesman would be a better fit than a loaded Tungsten or TRX. Then again, Stellantis probably won't try, because the real profit is at the high end of the truck market.