The Dodge Truck History

The American branch of Chrysler’s corporation, specializes on automobile production, and also off-highway vehicles production. The headquarters is in Highland-park (suburb of Detroit).

Americans John and Horace Dodge formed their own company in 1914 and they were one of the first who have begun the production of vehicles with all-metal body. The company of Dodge brothers has started the production of own cars in 1914. The small firm which is engaged earlier by package production for the Ford and Olds Motor factories, has absorbed all technological novelties of that time, including the Ford’s technology of standardization and flow production assembling (Henry Ford even presented judicial claims to brothers, however, without success).

The first vehicle Dodge Brothers which have playfully nicknamed The Old woman Betsy later, has left the factory on November, 14th, 1914 - and after it to the end of year Dodges have made 249 the same vehicles. Each of them has the firm emblem of the company on the radiator top tank - the globe placed in the center of the David’s star: the brothers remembered their roots.

By 1920 the company took the second place on automobile production after Ford, but in the same 1920 both of the brothers have died, and the new head of the company became Fred G. Hanes. The fortune of brothers Dodge was very solid – more than 20 millions dollars for everyone. Besides the brothers’ successors (nobody remains except the widows), have received 50 % of the authorized capital for everyone. But both widows had no enterprise talents, so business has gone down.

In 1928 concern Dodge became a part of Chrysler’s corporation. Nowadays, alongside with cars, also off-road vehicles, Dodge trucks and pickup trucks are marked Dodge. Trade mark Dodge changed constantly, but more often (as in nowadays) it is an emblem of the sheep’s head. Some experts consider that it’s the fault of one of Dodge’s models, which bent exhaust manifold reminded screw horns of the wild sheep.