Dodge History
Dodge is a brand name of automobiles and light to heavy-duty trucks. From 1914 to 1927, the company was named the Dodge Brothers Motor Vehicle Company. The Chrysler Corporation acquired the Dodge company in 1928. In 1998, Dodge along with all other Chrysler subsidaries, merged with Daimler-Benz.
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| Hoarce Elgin Dodge | John Francis Dodge |
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.
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In 1902, the Dodge Brothers were approached by Henry Ford, who was looking for help in financing his own automobile company. Dodge Brothers helped finance the start of the Ford Motor Company as well as manufacturing parts for early Fords, to Ford and the Dodge Brothers mutual financial benefit.
In 1914, the Dodge Brothers started their own auto company, which they named the Dodge Brothers Motor Vehicle Company, choosing 50 dealers initially from hundreds of applications, some of which remain successful today. 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.
In 1925, the Dodge Brothers Company was purchased by Dillon, Read & Company for US$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.
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.
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.
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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.
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