Dodge Through The Years

Throughout the years Dodge has been one of the main driving forces of the automobile industry. We are going to take a journey down the Dodge timeline to see exactly how they have evolved through the decades.

Dodge Starts Rolling:

In 1895, the Dodge brothers, Horace and John, received their first patent for a machine part. At that time the most predominant form of transportation was the bicycle. So, the first wheeled vehicle to bear the Dodge name was not a car, but in fact a bicycle. By 1901 they had secured a reputation for superb craftsmanship and had started producing parts for early automobiles.

Oldsmobile Contract:

In 1902 the Dodge brothers received their first major automotive contract. The Olds Motor Works company ordered 3,000 transmissions for the first Olds car. It wasn?t long before John and Horace Dodge were considered experts in the automotive parts industry.

The Ford Partnership:

By 1903 a man by the name of Henry Ford had so impressed the Dodge brothers that they teamed up to produce every part of the 1903 Ford Model A Runabout, except the wheels and cabin. The venture was a huge success and for 11 years Ford was the primary customer of Dodge. Both companies prospered beyond all expectations.

The First Dodge Motor Car:

Dodge gave up their lucrative contract with Ford in order to start building their own automobiles. In 1914, the first Dodge automobile, dubbed ?Old Betsy?, rolled off the assembly line. It was an instant success.

What is Dependability?

Not many automobile companies can claim to have added a word to the dictionary. An advertising copywriter found the perfect word to describe Dodge cars. Dependability. That word had never been in a dictionary before it was used in a Dodge advertisement. Now the word, just like the company, is known the world over.

Cathedral Lights:

In the early years, Dodge models sported a set of six hexagonal windows in the back of each passenger cabin. These were called cathedral lights and became the first trademark feature to make Dodge vehicles stand out from the rest.

Pershing vs. Pancho:

During the Mexican border campaign, General John J. Pershing led the attack against bandit Pancho Villa in none other than his Dodge touring car. A fleet of Dodge cars was also used in the first mechanized charge led by a young Lt. George S. Patton.

The FoundersPass:

In1920 John Dodge contracted pneumonia and sadly passed away. His brother followed soon after, a victim of the influenza epidemic. In one year one of Detroit?s powerhouses were left without its leaders.

Surrounded By Steel:

Dodge continued to surge on making its mark by creating a new all-steel enclosed cabin. This was used to better protect the driver and the passenger from the weather.

A Million Dodge Vehicles:

By 1925 one million Dodge vehicles were on the road.

Joining An Industrial Giant:

In the largest cash transaction in the history of the United States, Dodge was purchased and placed into the hands of Dillion, Reed, and Co., an investment banking firm. But it took a real visionary to bring together the ?Big Three?. Walter P. Chrysler acquired Dodge in a mostly stock deal. Once again an industry leader was in charge.

So Modernistic:

The Great Depression made times hard for the population. Dodge endeavored to design a vehicle that would help ease the stress of the times. They emerged ahead of the curve with strong styling designs and a foundation for recovery.

A New Representation of Dodge:

Dodge adopted a new symbol to embody its capability. The bighorn ram, it was agreed, could stand for the power, boldness, and rugged nature of Dodge cars and trucks.

New Advancements in Safety:

During the 1930?s a number of industry firsts came out of Dodge?s design studios. Safety could be advertised with Dodge?s improvements in the chassis, braking, and overall body strength of its vehicles. They also strengthened their designs in overdrive, independent suspension, and steering column mounted gearshifters.

It's a Dodge:

In the 1930?s Dodge acquired the Graham Brothers who they had partnered with to provide commercial trucks. This merger began the tradition of rugged dependability that is Dodge Trucks.

Cars Seek Luxury, Comfort:

Dodge dubbed their new passenger cars Luxury Liners as they became large, streamlined floating sanctuaries. The new styles of the early 1940s cars sported concealed hinges, sealed-beam headlights, and air foam seat cushions.

Industry Goes to War:

In 1942 all civilian automobile production was redirected to the war effort. Dodge?s design and industrial capabilities went into the production of more than half a million military trucks and command vehicles, plus major assemblies for tanks, guns, and aircraft.

Dodge Engines Fly The B-29:

During World War II Dodge contributed a major development to the war effort. They created the engine for the B-29 Super-Fortress bomber. A new plant was constructed to turn out more than 18,000 of them. The B-29 was the bomber that dropped the first atom bomb on Japan in 1945.

Fins! Fins! Fins!

Automakers began attaching fins to the rear of vehicles around 1955. The trend was described by many as a sign of post-war exuberance. Competition began to heat up among automakers and Dodge wholeheartedly embraced the trend. They even designed large fins on the Sweptside 100 Pickup Truck.

1953 First Hemi Engine:

In 1953 one of the most famous engines in automotive history made its début. The Dodge Red Hemi V-8 brought in 241 cu. in. and 140 horsepower to the Dodge Royal. The Hemi was so named due to the shape of the cylinders, which were topped with hemispheres.

The Baby Boom Demands the Family Car:

The 1950s are remembered best as the start of the baby boom. The increase in families and their sizes encouraged the development of the family car. Dodge cars soon became big enough to fit the whole family.

1956 Dodge Appeals to Women:

Dodge was perhaps the first company to recognize the importance of marketing to women. While their initial attempt was dubious, it paved the way for more refined and successful advertisements.

Harnessing the Power:

Dodge strove to continue to harness the power of the Hemi. Their automotive facility was the only one in the world that possessed a dynamometer that had the capacity to register the high-end of a Dodge Hemi engine. The Hemi?s different design gave the 1961 Polara D-500 330 horsepower at 4800 RPM and tons of torque.

Wanna Drag?

Dodge dominated the drag racing circle in the sixties. They peaked with Roger Lindawood in Color Me Gone II, the 1964 Top Eliminator.

The Legend Begins, Coronet R/T:

In 1967, Dodge introduced the first vehicle to hit the streets with an R/T label, Road & Track. The Coronet R/T had a standard 440 cu. in. V-8 engine that could produce 375 horsepower. It was the first in a long line of high power, excellent handling R/T vehicles from Dodge.

Muscle Cars:

The era of the muscle car dawned with cheap gas and new technology to harness its power. Some say that the Dodge Charger R/T was the ultimate muscle car. It had a 440 Magnum V-8 linked to a 4-speed transmission by Hurst linkage.

NASCAR, Meet Dodge:

In 1964 the Ramcharger 425 horsepower engine dominated NASCAR Tracks. Unfortunately, safety concerns caused NASCAR to ban the Hemi in 1965. This prompted a Dodge boycott. Luckily, the two entities came to an agreement in 1966 and Dodge launched a championship season, with the Hemi in a heavier car.

Scat Pack:

Dodge had one disadvantage at drag races. Their engines produced so much torque that the cars burnt rubber on the starting line instead of taking off. This problem was solved in the early seventies. The Charger, Challenger, and new Dodge Demon, dubbed the Scat Pack, offered unbelievable acceleration from a dead stop.

Muscle Car Paces Indy:

Memorial Day, 1971 a Dodge Challenger Convertible toured the track at the Indianapolis 500 before the racers. It was a classic symbol of the muscle-car era.

An American Revolution:

The 1970s saw Dodge designs go in two different directions, bigger and smaller. It was believed that the bigger and flatter the hood and trunk could be, the better the car was. But the energy crisis fueled the need for smaller vehicles, like the imported Dodge Colt and the domestic Dodge Omni.

The Fastest Production Vehicle:

As regulations for fuel economy and pollution controls hit the market a lot of American cars took a hit. In 1978, Dodge decided to take a different route. They avoided the restrictions on passenger cars and produced the year?s fastest vehicle, the Li?l Red Truck.

Revolution for the Family:

Dodge introduced the Caravan in the early eighties and it revolutionized the industry. It was the first vehicle to capture so much capability and so much comfort under one roof.

Trucks Become Mainstream:

During the 1980s pickup trucks rumbled off the worksites and became acceptable transportation wherever you needed to go. Since Dodge had decades of reputation for rugged dependability they came out ahead of the curve.

The Open Sky:

In 1983 Dodge reintroduced the convertible with the Dodge 400. It was the first American convertible in years.

The Automobile, Optimized:

In the nineties Dodge was responsible for the automotive styling change that would forever affect the way American cars look and handle. Cab-forward design moved the wheels to the corners and integrated all portions of the car. This design helped provide consumers with more comfort and capability while also providing improved maneuverability and handling.

A More Rugged SUV:

The Sport Utility Vehicle showed its dominance in the 1990s. These most capable vehicles were put on the road in force. Dodge built one Dodge style. The Dodge Durango, a rugged SUV that seats 8, was introduced to rave reviews and vast success.

Changing the Rules:

In 1994 Dodge woke up the truck world with the redesign of the Dodge Ram Pickup. It became the most dramatic and emulated truck launch of the century. As Dodge changed the rules for pickup trucks, Dodge Ram secured its place in the hearts of America?s truck owners.

New Winners at NASCAR:

Ray Evernham makes Dodge a winner at the 2001 Daytona 500. Bill Elliott is the first driver to return Dodge to these hallowed grounds for a grueling 500-mile race. Dodge is back and in the hunt for the Winner?s Circle.

Fossil Fuel a Fossil?

Dodge found Compressed Natural Gas while looking into alternative fuel solutions. The new Charger R/T concept vehicle not only returns to a V-8 engine and a rear-wheel drive design, but operates on this environmentally friendly fuel.

The Lines Blur:

No longer do you have to choose between a car and a truck. With concept vehicles like the MAXXcab, you get all the capability and power of a Dodge truck with the comfort of a Dodge car.

Dodge carries with them a history ingrained into the very root of the automobile industry. Only time will tell what new and exciting designs lie in store for the ever-continuing Dodge Legacy.