Thanks to shows like SEMA, aftermarket companies are able to exercise their creative sides in bringing out the funkiest concepts which, otherwise, wouldn’t have garnered a lot of attention. And, when the products are from brands like Mopar, you know that you’re in for a treat. Mopar will be bringing two concept trucks to the SEMA – a Dodge D200-series ‘Lowliner’ pickup truck and a 1500 Rebel-based concept. We’ll be talking about the former one here, and to say the least, Dodge sure had fun reimagining this truck from the 1960s.

Background

Mopar picked this classic truck and customized it spectacularly. Unlike other trucks that look beefy and bulky, sitting on high suspension lift kits, this little doozy sticks to the ground. It looks like something pulled out of Candy Crush. The truck is painted in ‘Candied Delmonico Red’ with a generous dosage of ‘Dairy Cream’ shade all around the body. It’s interesting because Mopar opted to reincarnate a truck instead of working on a sports coupe or something more ‘trendy.’ Before it became the Lowliner concept, the truck did duty as a camper truck. Mopar picked this 1968 Dodge D200 Sweptline pickup truck from Ohio for $6,800 before transforming it into a SEMA-showstopper.

Exterior

Upfront, the Lowliner features a slim, long face when compared to the huge grilles we are used to seeing these days. Between the circular headlights is the grille with eight ‘openings.’ Actually, calling it a grille will be a sin. It is basically a long strip painted in a Dairy Cream color that features seven-inch LED headlights are either ends and two rows of four rectangular openings, stacked above one another. There are vertical slots as well that give a peep into the mesh, just like the other slats. If you look carefully, you can even spot the radiator.

This one, too, is painted in crème. There is a kink here to hold the number plate flush in the bumper. Moving to the hood, it features a dip right in the middle that extends from one edge to the other. There are two muscular creases in here to further add character to the design. The hood protrudes out a bit in the front, thus forming a lip that forms the originating point for a kink running on the side profile. Overall, the face reeks of vintage touches with funky color shades. Glad to see Mopar reimagining the looks of the truck while retaining its core 1968 looks.

Coming to the side profile, it is as clean as it can get. Mopar has even eliminated the door handles and the fuel filler cap! The lip from the front serves as the base to a muscular crease that runs all the way to the end of the truck bed. The wheel archers are bulged out ever so slightly to accommodate the tires when the truck is riding at its lowest setting. The fenders are embossed with a ‘Mopar Omega M’ logo. The upright windshield is reminiscent of the design from the past century. There is only one wing mirror – on the driver’s side – that sits right under the slim A-pillar. The highlight here is the set of 22-inch ‘Smoothie’ eight-lug aluminum wheels that are also painted in the dairy cream shade. The front wheels are wrapped in 285/35 tires, whereas the rear wheels come dressed with 325/35 tires.

‘DODGE” lettering is embossed onto the tailgate, and it actually looks quite classy. The rear bumper, just like the one at the front, is painted in the cream shade and house the license plate in the center. The truck bed in actually a straight lift from the new Ram 1500. It is raised by six inches when compared to the stock arrangement. To accommodate the extra width of the tires, Mopar had to widen the rear wheel wells by five inches on either side. With all these modifications, the parts supplier has done a fantastic job in creating this retro truck.

Interior

The interior looks classy and elegant, despite the bold color contrast. The same material can be seen on the door pads as well. The dash is finished in the same metallic red shade as the exterior. The headliner is also draped in hide with a “Mopar Omega M” logo stitched into it. Other than this, the aftermarket company has also custom-tailored tan carpet for the flooring.

My personal favorite here is the gear lever emerging out of the flooring. The long shifter finds a translucent metal-flake shift ball with the Cummins logo stamped on it. This further enhances the retro appearance of the truck. Apart from this, Mopar has also carried over the original 1968 steering wheel with the original Dodge Fratzog logo on the horn ring cap. The company has reworked on the instrument cluster with seven custom Mopar gauges mounted to a unique “engine turned” aluminum panel.

Speaking of the Fratzog logo, Dodge used this logo for 14 years before changing to the Chrysler Pentastar. Although the term sounds like something adapted from a foreign language, it actually means nothing. There are many theories associated with it, but apparently, the designer was asked to come up with a name for it, and he made up this word because he couldn’t think of anything else. Who knew a random meaningless word would trickle down the history books with such relevance!

Drivetrain

The Dodge Lowliner comes packed with a 5.9-liter, Cummins turbodiesel six-cylinder engine that makes 325 horses and a massive 610 pound-feet of torque. Power is sent to the rear wheel via a six-speed manual transmission. This engine first found its place in the Dodge trucks in 1989. Originally, it made 235 horses and 460 pound-feet of torque and had an intercooled Holset turbocharger. The engine received a couple of power bumps later on, and the outputs used in this engine were first introduced in 2005. It comes with a bore of 4.02 inches and a stroke of 4.72 inches.

It is not as complicated as the V-6 setup and is comparatively easier to repair as well. The major reason as to why V-6 engines are preferred over inline six-cylinders is because the former takes less space and can be fitted almost under any regular-sized hoods. The latter takes up more space and messes up the process of designing the vehicle, especially considering the number of modern safety features automakers install nowadays. These are easier to fit in with V-6 setups.

The fuel tank is also moved to a space created by the raised floor. In the original truck, it was placed behind the cab’s bench. According to the company, the engine and transmission alone weigh over 1,100 pounds. Apart from this, Mopar has also installed an air suspension in here. Like I mentioned earlier, the floor of the truck bed is raised by six inches to accommodate the air suspension and the fuel cell. The truck comes with three driving modes – Low, Driving Height, and Driving Height Plus. This is one of the most detailed concepts, in and out, that we have seen in recent times.

Final Thoughts

The Lowliner looks great and quite different from the monsters that Ford is bringing at the SEMA. Mopar is one of the biggest aftermarket players, and it has a lot at stake with the concepts it’s bringing to the show considering the company’s stature and fan-following. The Lowliner is a good mix of retro and modern touches. The best part about this concept is the fact that Mopar has retained a lot of elements from the past, and has reminded us that Dodge comes with a rich history. Mopar engineers were also able to be at their creative best with this project.

Other than this, the brand will bring along 13 more customized vehicles and hundreds of Mopar products in its 15,000-square-foot exhibit in the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. The products will be on display from the 5th to the 8th of November 2019.