An image of a vehicle manufactured by Amercian company Ram Trucks has been shared with a false claim that it shows a United States based company recently launching a car after the name of Hindu god Ram.
BOOM found that the brand uses the male sheep or ram as its icon and has not named a vehicle influenced by Hindu god Lord Ram.
The photo is being shared with a Hindi caption that translates to, "An American company launched a car in the name of Shri Ram. Sanatan is the soul of the world. Jai Shri Ram".
(Original Text in Hindi: अमेरिका की एक कम्पनी ने श्री राम के नाम से कार लॉन्च की सनातन विश्व की आत्मा है।। जय श्री राम)
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Fact Check
BOOM performed a reverse image search on the photo and found it on Wikimedia Commons; according to the caption of the photo, it was taken on January 18, 2020, at the 2020 Montréal International Auto Show in Canada.
Taking a cue, we performed a related keyword search and found that a detailed video of the truck from the automobile show was uploaded on a YouTube channel called AUTO MOTO on April 2, 2020.
The video was uploaded with the caption, "2020 RAM 1500 LongHorn - Exterior And Interior - Montreal Auto Show 2020".
While watching the video, we noticed that the steering wheel of the vehicle carries a silver-coloured emblem featuring a male sheep or a ram. We then found similar photos on American car manufacturer Ram Trucks' website related to its Ram 1500 model.
A close-up view of a Ram 1500 truck was posted on the vehicle manufacturer's official Instagram handle on February 19, 2020.
Name Inspired By Lord Ram? Not Quite!
We found a United States-based vehicle dealer's blog Jeff Belzer Dodge RAM mentioning the history behind the 'ram' logo for the vehicles. The blog from February 6, 2023, states, "True to the name, the Ram logo was inspired by a charging ram, or a bighorn male sheep, which is often seen as imposing, unstoppable, or dominant. For instance, Ares, the Greek god of war, was also frequently represented with a symbol of a ram."
Additionally, we also found the biography of the RAM logo designer Avard T Fairbanks on the official website of the J. Willard Marriott Library in Utah, United States.
An excerpt from the biography reads, "In addition to his religious sculptures, small and large bronzes, marble carvings, medals, and relief panels, Fairbanks created hood ornaments for Chrysler Motor Company. He had been asked to design a hood ornament for the Plymouth, and had designed a mermaid, which was approved. After approval of his mermaid design, Fairbanks was asked to design an ornament for the Dodge car. The design he came up with was a ram. When management from Chrysler came to see the design, they asked Fairbanks what a ram had to do with Dodge. Fairbanks replied that when people see a ram coming down the road they'll say "dodge!" He got the commission."
The same information about the history of the design of the Ram trucks is corroborated on Nebraska government's website. An excerpt reads, "In 1929 Fairbanks joined the faculty of the University of Michigan, where he taught until 1947; during World War II he spent some time working for the automotive industry in Detroit. Among his contributions to industrial design were the ram for Dodge automobiles as well as radiator ornaments for the Plymouth and Hudson. While at Michigan he earned a Ph.D. in anatomy."
Ram Trucks used to be a part of Dodge cars under the Chrysler Group LLC before 2009. According to news reports, Chrysler Group LLC on October 5, 2009, decided to split the Dodge Brand into two separate units, the Dodge RAM Brand and the Dodge Car Brand organisations.
In 2021, CNET reported that Ram Trucks became a part of Stellantis, a brand which was formed after Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and French auto giant PSA Group announced their decision to merge.
