Fiat Ram gains on Chevrolet in war for pickup-truck profits

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV’s Ram pickup trounced General Motors Co.’s Chevrolet Silverado in third-quarter sales, tightening the race for the No. 2 spot in the lucrative full-size U.S. truck segment.

Ram deliveries slipped 3.4% to 156,157 pickups in the quarter, compared with a 5.4% drop to 145,525 at Chevy, the two trucks’ manufacturers said Thursday. The Silverado still leads Ram by about 7,500 units year-to-date. Ram outsold the Silverado in 2019, a first for its Italian-American automaker.

The Ram has been giving the Silverado a run for its money since it stepped into the luxury realm last year with a new truck featuring 12-inch touchscreens and hand-tooled leather interiors for its higher-grade trims. At the same time, GM struggled with a shortage of inventory after a 40-day strike closed all of its U.S. plants.

Both automakers are grappling with inventory shortages this year after a two-month spring shutdown due to the pandemic.

Ford Motor Co., which has been the leader in pickup sales since the Jimmy Carter administration and last year sold nearly 900,000 F-Series trucks, is due to report sales on Friday.