T-Rex versus Raptor? It’s not true.
The 2021 Ram 1550 TRX was introduced as an alternative to the Ford F150 Raptor. You can buy it even if you don’t live in Europe. It is more powerful, more efficient, and more costly than its main competitor. The name of the performance truck is more challenging than the Blue Oval’s monster truck. Or does it?
This is not true. The TRX moniker can be easily associated with Tyrannosaurus Rex dinosaur, which is an actual enemy for raptors. Ram’s decision not to call it that way was, at least at first, a coincidence.
Automobile Magazine had an opportunity to speak with Mike Gillam (TRX’s exterior-design leader) and ask questions about the design and overall concept. They thought that the TRX was a reference for T.Rex, but Gillam told them the truth.
“Because we only had a short time frame, we actually had a sheet craft paper in the studio and had about 200 different naming options. Many of them were very unique, unusual and exciting. Legal couldn’t quickly vet all of these names in time for the reveal. Gillam explained to the publication that it was a timing issue.
It’s so simple. Ram needed to make a quick decision that was legal and easy. The name TRX was an obvious choice since the automaker had already obtained the rights. This was a decision that the team didn’t want too long to make.
“They looked at me and said, “What rights do we already own?” We actually had TRX. It ran for one year. It was an off-road package that we offered on Ram. It was a bit obscure. Sometimes, I will see one driving by. It was a pretty cool name. They thought it was a simple name that would be memorable. It was already ours, which was the important thing. Let’s just do it. Again, it was one of those things that we didn’t think too much about.