A Quick History - Dodge

Dodge was founded by Horace and John Dodge in 1900. The company originally made engines and chassis for local automobile companies. The Dodges wished to make their own vehicles though and in 1914 they made the Dodge Model 30. 

Dodge Model 30

Dodges became known for durability and ranked second in American sales in 1920. However, in January of that year, John died of pneumonia and in December, Horace died of cirrhosis. The company passed to the widows.

Rankings dropped and the company slipped to seventh place. Dodge began to make light trucks but sales continued to drop. They made the decision to sell to Chrysler in 1928.

Dodge's New Logo

In 1942, Dodge, like many car companies, shut down car production to concentrate on the war materials needed. After the war, cars were in demand from the lack of new ones and Dodge didn't have a hard time getting back into the market.

Our 2006 Dodge Charger SRT8

The oil crisis hit Dodge and Chrysler's entire company hard in 1973. Chrysler's financial problems required them to ask for a bailout in 1979. With the money from the government, they were able to forget the past and move forward onto new designs and models.