2011 Ram Adventurer arrives in the spring

There's history, and then there's deep history. Chrysler reached all the way back to the 1950s for the code name of its next Hemi-powered Ram, the "Adventurer."

In fact, it wasn't even a Chrysler. Rather, the original Adventurer was a top-of-the-line DeSoto. This new truck will be a Ram 1500-based offering and come with the 390-hp Hemi V8 for the base price of $23,830 when it arrives in the spring.

The Adventurer project was announced on Tuesday in the wake of the Tradesman truck, another entry-level Ram, which debuted at the Chicago auto show. The Adventurer can be ordered through dealers, even though the name hasn't been finalized.

The truck gets a body-colored grille and fascia, fog lamps and 20-inch aluminum wheels. There's a lengthy list of options, including chrome, a spray-in-bedliner and a Class IV trailer hitch.

The Adventurer comes in short-cab and regular-bed models and rear- or four-wheel drive.

By Greg Migliore