Dodge

Dodge History

In the early 1900s, two bicycle makers were destined to change the auto industry forever-- they were the Dodge brothers, John and Horace. They began their careers as bicycle machinists in their father's shop in Michigan. Upon moving to Windsor, Ontario, Canada, they adapted their skills to meet the needs of the fledgling automotive industry and found success producing intricate auto parts. It wasn't long before John and Horace came to the attention of Henry Ford. He was so impressed with the brothers that he offered them one-tenth interest in his new motor car company.That partnership lasted for the next 12 years.The brothers then split from Ford to pursue their own interests in automobile manufacturing because, at the time, Ford cars were built with virtually all Dodge parts. When asked why he and his brother wanted to build their own car, John Dodge reportedly said, "Think of all the Ford owners who will someday want an automobile." In 1914, Dodge Brothers, Inc. was formed. In that first year, Dodge introduced the "Old Betsy," a rugged car built for reliability and durability. That year Dodge built a total of 249 new cars.

In 1928, Chrysler acquired the much larger Dodge Brothers, Inc. It continued expanding its line of vehicles, which included the WWII Power Wagon - a vehicle that garnered enough acclaim to continue production a decade after the war. Through the years, Dodge has led the way with a number of styling and engineering advancements, including the first 140-horsepower "Red Ram" Hemi� V8 engine in the 1953 Coronet. In the 1960s and 1970s Dodge contributed to America's fascination with high-performance "muscle cars" by manufacturing the 505 Charger Daytonas for stock- car racing and as production cars.

Never forgetting the legacy the Dodge Brothers began by constructing durable and powerful cars, Dodge and Chrysler brought the domestic convertible back to the roads in the 80s in the form of the Dodge 400 and the Chrysler Lebaron. In the 90s, the eagerly anticipated Dodge Viper put the muscle back in "muscle cars." All of which soon culminated in the new, aggressive look on the Dodge Ram Pickup, Dodge Dakota and Dodge Durango.

Dodge is proud of its heritage and is looking forward to building on a tradition of power, style and rugged dependability.

1900's In 1901 John Francis Dodge and Horace Elgin Dodge moved their Dodge Brothers Bicycle & Machine Factory to Detroit, Michigan. Their bearings and other parts were in demand with the early automobile industry, and they helped design motor parts for early Oldsmobiles. 1910's

1915 (1915) In 1914 the Dodge Brothers started their own auto company, which they named the Dodge Brothers Motor Vehicle Company. Early models had some similarities to the Ford Model T, but with such refinements as electric rather than crank start, as were becoming popular with the middle class. The new Dodge cars were a commercial success. In 1917 Dodge Brothers began building motor trucks as well, at first for use by the United States Army during World War I, then commercially after the war's end. 1920's In 1925 the Dodge Brothers Company was purchased by Dillon, Read & Company for $146 million, said to be the largest cash transaction in history up to that time. Dillon Read in turn sold Dodge to the Chrysler Corporation on July 31, 1928. 1960's

Dart (1960) Following Chrysler's takeover of the British Rootes Group and Simca of France, and the resultant establishment of Chrysler Europe in the late 1960s, the Dodge brand was used on light commercial vehicles previously branded Commer (a Rootes subsidiary) and on pick-up and van versions of the Simca 1100. The most common of these was the Dodge 50 series, widely used by utility companies and the military, but rarely seen outside the UK. Following Chrysler Europe's collapse in 1977, the Dodge factory and some rights to use the Dodge name in Europe were purchased by Renault, who gradually re-branded the range of vans and trucks through the 1980s, eventually dropping the name altogether and using the factory for engine production. 2000's

Maxxcab (2000) Dodge is now part of the DaimlerChrysler company. As of 2005, the Dodge brand has become known primarily for its trucks, which account for 78% of the division's sales. Dodge is attempting to change this with the introduction of the new Dodge Charger. The Dodge marque will also be promoted in Europe. Currently, the Viper is the only Dodge-branded vehicle in that market, but DaimlerChrysler will begin to heavily advertise the brand's Caliber and Nitro models with a masculine image.