- Desert Power Wagons builds modern reproductions of the original Dodge Power Wagon with everything new but the styling.
- A recently finished truck uses a modern Ram HD as a basis and even borrows its contemporary interior.
- Ram-based models such as this one from DPW start at $425,000.
Desert Power Wagons will build you an old-look, new-tech take on the 1940s Dodge original in one of two ways: with a custom body on a custom chassis or using that same body atop modern Ram bits. Car and Driver senior editor Ezra Dyer came away impressed after some time with the all-custom option, which garnered more attention than some supercars and cost an exotic-rivaling $385,000. We’re now getting a closer look at the other type of build, and it looks just as nicely finished.
DPW recently completed an example in a very Power Wagon-appropriate red with black trim. It looks every bit the part on the outside, with the Method Racing wheels being the real giveaway that this truck isn’t simply over-restored army surplus. Inside, however, the builder has neatly placed the guts of a modern heavy-duty Ram 2500—a Limited model, judging by the center-console lid. Everything looks like it was designed to fit, including the giant center touchscreen. The seats have been recovered in red-accented black leather with diamond quilting and crocodile-look embellishments, and the doors are trimmed to match.
As Dyer explained in his piece, plopping the retro body on a new Ram necessitates a shallow bed. The latest creation is just as cleanly outfitted as the one he hauled kayaks in, with its oak floor stained black to match the rest of the truck’s motif. A set of 40-inch tires fill the giant fenders, and there’s a Carli suspension holding everything up and providing 9.5 inches of travel front and rear.
This truck is powered by a Cummins diesel 6.7-liter inline-six making 385 horsepower and 930 pound-feet of torque, backed by a six-speed automatic. It’s the same powerplant as in the one Dyer drove, the difference being it hasn’t been wrested from its natural home in a Ram frame. Desert Power Wagons will also build you a truck with a Hemi V-8, and it offers two-door Power Wagons as well as a more wagon-like facsimile of the WC-53 Carryall.
Like other modern reproductions, the Ram-based Desert Power Wagon carries a high price. The $425,000 ask is put into perspective somewhat when you consider that this giant took over 5000 hours to create. Sheer size and mass don’t come cheap, and neither does meticulous attention to detail.
Ever since David was a wee Car and Driver intern, he has kept a spreadsheet listing all the vehicles he’s driven and tested. David really likes spreadsheets. He can parallel-park a school bus and once drove a Lincoln Town Car 63 mph in reverse. After taking a break from journalism to work on autonomous vehicles, he’s back writing for this and other automotive publications. When David’s not searching for the perfect used car, you can find him sampling the latest in gimmicky, limited-edition foodstuffs.
Source: Motor - aranddriver.com
