Ram begins building 2021 1500 TRX, saves the first truck for charity auction

Ram has launched series production of the 1500 TRX in its Sterling Heights, Michigan, factory. The first 702 trucks off the line will be Launch Edition models, and they're all spoken for, but VIN #001 is headed for auction.

Introduced earlier in 2020, the TRX is built alongside the regular 1500 in a plant located north of Detroit. The facility was inaugurated by Chrysler's Missile Division in 1953 to build jet engines, and it was operated by the Army as the Michigan Ordinance Missile Plant before being retooled for car manufacturing.

Ram's TRX isn't quite as quick as a jet, but it stands proud as the most powerful series-produced truck in the United States thanks to a 6.2-liter Hellcat V8 supercharged to deliver 702 horsepower. Ram quotes a 4.5-second sprint from zero to 60 mph, a 12.9-second quarter-mile time at 108 mph, and a 118-mph top speed. After driving it on and off the pavement, we crowned it "the best and most capable factory off-road pickup."

Sold out in three hours in spite of a $92,000 base price, the Launch Edition model gets Anvil Gray paint and a plaque on the center console. It's also equipped with the TRX Level 2 equipment group, which bundles carbon fiber interior trim, a head-up display, beadlock-capable wheels, and a 19-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, among other features. Ram further decked out VIN #001 with accessories like a bed-mounted spare tire carrier and rock rails from the Mopar catalog. It's the one that hasn't been sold to a private buyer — at least not yet.

Ram announced it will send the first 1500 TRX to auction in 2021, and the proceeds from the sale will be donated to charity. More details (like the date and location of the auction) will be announced in the coming months. By that point, the TRX could face serious competition from the next generation of Ford's F-150 Raptor. It will make its debut in 2021, and unverified rumors claim it will pack over 700 horsepower from a supercharged 5.2-liter V8.

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