Old-School Shootout - The Big Three's Heavy Haulers From 1996: Video - Top Speed
This awesome episode of MotorWeek from nearly 20 years ago shows just what the U. S. truck market was up to. And though it looks pretty familiar against what Ford, Chevy, and now Ram are currently doing, all the numbers have grown. The Single Cab Ram 3500 has the guts to pull 13,300 pounds on its hitch with its big, honkin’, Viper-derived 8. 0-liter V-10. The Ford F-350 comes in behind, lugging a maximum of 12,500 pounds thanks to its then-new 7. 3-liter V-8 PowerStroke... The Crew Cab Chevy pulls up the rear with its tried and true 454 cubic inch V-8. The very under-tuned big-block only cranked out 230 horsepower and 385 pound-feet of torque for 1995, likely leading to its sub-par 10,000-pound maximum tow rating. Speaking of sub-par, the Chevy continues the trend here, as both the Ford and Dodge surpass its horsepower and torque ratings. The Ford’s PowerStroke lays out 210 horsepower and 425 pound-feet of torque while the big Dodge pushes 300 horses and an impressive 450 pound-feet from its V-10. In comparison, these three heavy-duties’ grandchildren are towing a lot more. Source: www.topspeed.com
