The Dodge brand has a great reputation in the car industry. From creating durable vehicles for all aspects of work and play, usually equipped with technologically and innovative features, Dodge is credited for its sports/muscle cars like the Charger and Challenger. However, there are a lot of interesting events within the history of the Dodge brand. Here we’ll talk about some interesting facts that every car enthusiast should know.
The Dodge brand was founded in 1913 by two brothers, John Francis Dodge and Horace Elgin Dodge. The brand started from manufacturing ball bearings for bikes. After success in their manufacturing company, the Dodge brothers sold the company and started a machine shop in Detroit. There they would sell and manufacture car parts.
Dodge has had a long Journey (get it?) since its start in Detroit Michigan. It is currently one of the most popular car brands in the USA.
In the early days, the Dodge brothers used to manufacture auto parts for other brands like Ford. At the time, they were manufacturing engines and transmissions for Ford vehicles. Henry Ford wasn’t able to pay the Dodge brothers in cash, so he offered them shares of the Ford Motor Company. In 1919, the Dodge brothers sold the shares back to Henry worth over $25 million. Unfortunately, the Dodge brothers both died in 1920, a few years after launching their brand.
The first vehicle of the Dodge Model 30 was launched in 1914. It was a four-cylinder touring car with a sliding gear transmission and was manufactured from steel. The body was unique at that time, as many vehicles were manufactured on wood frames. Along with a steel body, the car featured a window, which was also rare at that time.
Dodge actively participated in WWII by manufacturing military vehicles for the Army. The brand also manufactures engines and other supplies for Boeing’s heavy bomber.
Dodge is counted among a few progressive companies that forwarded the concept of winterized and winterizing your cars. Dodged had winter vehicles with a removable hardtop and snap-on side glasses. The continuous change in the design body types made Dodge gain a separate space in the car market.
Dodge at one point designed a car for women in 1955. The exterior of the car was two-toned and generally painted pink and white. The interior was usually decorated with printed upholstery. The car also came in with a purse attached to the seat.
Dodge has cars and has participated in NASCAR since 1966 up until 2012. They have participated in a number of races with their sports model series. Dodge also made mods to cater to requirements of the event.
In the 70’s, Dodge launched vehicles named the ATR (Adult Toy Range). It included mini trucks that had a muscle car exterior. The exterior of these trucks resembles that of muscle cars like Charger and Challenger, but the car frame was that of a mini truck.
Dodge is well known for its sports car lineup. The first model series in this category was the Dodge Charger, introduced in 1964. This two-door muscle car series is known for its efficient V8 engine that can generate a total of 470hp. The next one in line is the Dodge Challenger as well as the Dodge Viper. These models are known for their higher speed as well as a strong exterior. Although, the Challenger is considered one of the most iconic model series launched by Dodge. The car debuted in the 1970s with a high-performance V8 engine. The car was and is in fact one of the most popular muscle car models. The big reason for its popularity is that Challenger has maintained the exterior of itself, and every generation has always somewhat resembled the previous one. The Dodge Challenger fact has two keys, a red and a black key. The red key was used when driving a vehicle at a higher speed. It automatically adjusted the traction, transmission and steering as per the speed of the vehicle. The black key was used when minimum power was required.
Dodge is not only known for its sports car lineup, but also for manufacturing some of the most heavy-duty pick-up trucks.
Dodge has covered a long journey since its initiation. The brand has strongly established its reputation by performance-oriented vehicles. Browse through our used Dodge vehicles and bring home one of your own!