Why The Production Of Classic Rod Hall Signature Dodge Trucks Was Cursed Twice
November 2019 marked the first time off-road racing legend Rod Hall missed the Baja 1000 since competing in the event's first race, then called the Mexican 1000, in 1967. Unfortunately, his record of 50 Baja 1000 participations ended in 2019 after Hall succumbed to supranuclear palsy at age 81. He and his close friend Larry Minor entered the inaugural Mexican 1000 onboard a bone-stock Jeep CJ-5. The duo navigated from La Paz to Tijuana without Google Maps or satellite navigation. Instead, all they had was their wits and a compass.
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In 1969, Hall conquered the Baja 1000 by finishing second in a Bill Stroppe Ford Bronco and gathered 25 class wins in the next 50 years. The rising popularity of Baja-inspired racing trucks in the late 1980s and early 90s inspired Dodge to create a custom Ram truck in cooperation with Rod Hall. The result was a 1987 Dodge Ram with fully-custom suspension and underpinnings. However, fate had other plans.
Rod Hall Dodge truck: Fool me twice
One could only imagine how vintage truck lovers responded to the Rod Hall Dodge Truck in 1987. It stood tall with its modified chassis and had a vibe that could make mincemeat of inhospitable terrain with its signature red, orange, and yellow livery. But, unfortunately, Dodge only sold 14 Rod Hall Signature Edition Ram trucks before the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) ruined the fun. As it turns out, the custom suspension and modifications were untested by the NHTSA and recalled each truck for being "unsafe" to use on public roads.
However, the stars aligned in 1990 when Rod Hall partnered with fellow legendary racer Carrol Shelby to build a new series of custom Ram trucks. Each truck had a 170-horsepower 5.2-liter V8 engine and a slew of off-road-ready equipment like front and rear pre-runner bumpers, a lightbar on the bed, and bespoke driving lights.
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The team produced 33 Dodge Rod Hall Signature Edition trucks before Carrol Shelby's untimely heart attack in 1990. Because of this, the 1987 and 1990 Rod Hall Signature Editions are considered the rarest and most unique Dodge trucks ever made. Finding one in mint condition is like winning the lottery, and you'll probably need to actually win the lottery to add one to your garage.