Bye, Holden Colorado! Ram 1500 caught testing for Victoria Police duty - great news for Chevrolet Silverado and other trucks set for Australia

A Ram 1500 in full Victoria Police livery has been spotted driving in inner Melbourne this past week, prompting speculation that at least one will join the force in the not-too-distant future.

Phone calls and/or emails to both the Victoria Police media unit and Ram Trucks distributor Ateco Group have failed to produce any meaningful information behind the clearly sighted DS-series 1500.

However, it has come to our attention that a number of different vehicles –including those from Ram Trucks Australia – may be under study right now for undisclosed duty with the Victoria Police, according to one source.

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It is understood that while a number of other law-enforcement agencies are also in talks with the Ateco Group, a spokesperson for Ram Trucks declined to comment on where these discussions may lead.

If the Victoria Police do select the 1500 as witnessed at close range by a CarsGuide journalist near the Dawson Street Police Complex in the inner-northern Melbourne suburb of Brunswick, it will not be the first Ram truck to see service in Australia.

In May 2020, the NSW Police Marine Command (PMC) took delivery of a second Ram 1500 Crew Cab Truck fitted with a 291kW/556Nm 5.7-litre V8 Hemi engine. This is to tow police jet skis and rigid inflatables to locations throughout the state for search and rescue as well as crime prevention and detection activities. 

Ateco says it was purchased “…following an evaluation of multiple RAM trucks, including the 2500”.

Along with offering significant cabin room for easy fitment of specialist police equipment (particularly for the driver and front-seat occupant), the NSW PMC chose the Ram 1500 for its 4500kg maximum braked towing capacity.

RAM Trucks Australia spokesperson Oliver Peagam said the big trucks’ unique size, capacity and capability make it a natural workhorse for law-enforcement agencies throughout Australia.

“Is there a better fit-for-purpose vehicle out there?” he said. 

"The ‘RamBox Cargo Management System’ are lockable boxes that are usually used for lifestyle activities but can be fitted out as a lockable gun box that are essential for law enforcement agencies, for example, and these and other unique features are criteria that only a few brands can offer.”

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For civilians, prices for the Hemi 1500 Quad Cab kicks off from $79,950 plus on-road costs.

Launched in mid-2018, the 1500 has become the bestselling Ram truck in Australia, and like the rest of the range, is converted from left-hand-drive vehicles at RAM’s manufacturing facility in Clayton, Victoria, using 400 locally sourced re-manufactured parts. All DS-generation 1500s originate from Chrysler’s US plant in Warren, Michigan.

As reported by CarsGuide earlier this month, the all-new DT-series Ram 1500 will launch locally in the first quarter of next year but will sit above the existing DS model in the local line-up, rather than usurp it, giving Ram Trucks Australia a two-prong attack against the Chevrolet Silverado as well as  more expensive versions of the smaller Isuzu D-Max, Ford Ranger, Nissan Navara and Toyota HiLux.