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.
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