How Star Wars inspired Ram Rebel designer

Updated Jul 13, 2015
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Photo courtesy Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

You won’t see Darth Vadar or Obi Wan Kenobi tooling around the galaxy in a pickup, but if you did it just might be a Ram Rebel.

Ryan Nagode, Ram Truck, SRT and Fiat North America chief designer for interiors and noted die-hard Star Wars fan, drew some inspiration from the blockbuster franchise.

“Attention to detail is bar none in the Star Wars movies and I think that’s also why I make a connection with those movies,” Nagode says. “I’ve tried to make sure all of our Ram trucks feel special and unique and that is nowhere else more true than the 2015 Ram Rebel 1500.”

You’ll find Star Wars fans from ages 8 to 80; a kind of trans-generational popularity that Nagode says inspires him daily.

“I think one of the hardest parts in designing a vehicle is the timeless quality you want them to have,” he says. “Like with all the generations that have seen and been touched by these movies, I want to have that same lasting impression on consumers who buy and experience our trucks.”

Once it became clear Ram was going to stick with the Rebel name, the guy who helped design it began the work on designing one of his own.

“As soon as the exterior colors were starting to be developed and coupled with our interior theme, I was hooked on the white and black,” he says.

Photo courtesy Fiat Chrysler AutomobilesPhoto courtesy Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

“It’s a motif that, in a lot of ways, is reminiscent of the many vehicles and characters from this franchise found on the silver screen.”

Nagode’s Imperial “kill count” isn’t the final Star Wars touch on his Rebel, and he hints at major additions in the months to come.

“I have a few other touches planned, and want to keep the references subtle but recognizable. I can’t wait till its Halloween time, though.”