Dodge's M80 concept was a retro small truck with big personality

The Dodge M80 concept debuted when retro-future styling was all the rage.

This compact pickup, which drew on stylistic hallmarks of the 1930s and 1940s, rumbled onto stage at the Detroit Auto Show in 2002.

The early 2000s were a particularly fertile time for DCX-family concepts, and the M80 remains one of the company's very best efforts.

Based on the chassis and mechanicals of the traditional Dakota midsize truck, there were rumors the M80 could actually foreshadow that model's replacement.

Instead of pie-in-the-sky show-car tech, the M80 was eminently buildable and surprisingly light.

The rear window flipped open, providing access to the truck's bed.

Its 210-hp V6 was powerful enough that Dodge estimated a 0-to-60-mph time of around 8 seconds.

Sadly, the brilliant little M80 was likely undone by fears of the industry's then-moribund small truck sales.

The M80 also had a robust interior that combined a simple feature set with attractive aesthetics.