1978 Dodge Lil’ Red Express Truck
With its exhaust stacks and chrome rims, this Dodge could be mistaken for someone’s custom creation, but it’s actually a production truck. In fact, the Lil’ Red Express was the fastest American-built vehicle you could buy in ’78! It was faster than the Corvette and could even beat a Ferrari or two. This velocity advantage was made possible by some loopholes that Dodge took advantage of.
The Dodge Lil’ Red was way ahead of its times–so much so that on its entry in 1978, it had the fastest 0-to-100 mph of any and all vehicles of that year, more potent than even a Corvette. With that scarlet-red color and unbelievable 18-wheeler exhaust stacks, it was one of a kind then and basically still is. The 5.8-liter V8 engine churned out 225 horsepower and 295 lb-ft torque, which made it one nippy and nifty drive.
The interior of this Dodge is about as good as you could get in a truck during the era. The optional air conditioning and bucket seats with fold down armrest are nice to have. You could only get an automatic in these and the Tuff wheel should look familiar to Mopar muscle car fans. There’s not much else to say about the interior. It was simple and black and that’s all you really needed in a muscle machine.
That was quite an accomplishment in 1978 when just about everything had been choked to death by emission equipment and bad gas. Five slot mags and wide white letter tires rounded out the package here and showed everyone that you meant business. Those rims were the hot ticket with the customizing and racing crowds so Dodge was smart to go with those. This isn’t something you’d want if you like to blend in, but if you enjoy doing smokey burnouts on the way to the hardware store, it might be perfect pickup!
We love sport trucks of all shapes and sizes, and the stylish ’70s Dodge Lil’ Red Express is at the top of that list. This one has fairly low mileage for a 44-year-old truck and looks to be in great condition. We’re confident these limited production muscle trucks are only going up from here.
