The Dodge Dakota was a medium sized pickup truck that was produced by the Dodge brand of DaimlerChrysler beginning in the year 1987, whereupon it was presented alongside the Dodge Ram 50. The Dodge Dakota was a nominee for the North American Truck of the Year in the year 2000.
The Dodge Dakota is sized above compact vehicles such as the Chevrolet S 10 and the Ford Ranger, but below full sized vehicles like the Chevrolet Silverado and the Ford F 150. The Dodge Dakota boasts a conventional design complete with a leaf spring / live axle rear and an all over body on frame construction. For many years, the Dodge Dakota has been the sole midsize pickup truck with optional V8 Configuration available on the market. One of the notable features of the Dodge Dakota is its rack and pinion steering – a first in work based trucks.
Chrysler conceived of the Dodge Dakota as the very first medium sized pickup truck that would combine the fuel economy and nimble handling of a compact pick up truck with the cargo handling capacity that full sized pick up trucks are mostly known for. Many of the components were shared with other trucks in the Dodge line in order to keep expenses on the vehicle to a minimum.
