Car Wallpaper Blog!

Dodge, a brand of automobiles and trucks based in the United States, had its beginnings in 1900 as supplier of parts and assemblies for Detroit’s automobile industry. The company, which was founded by two brothers, Horace and John Dodge, produced engine and chassis for many of the automobile companies operating in Detroit. Two big companies the Dodge Brothers Company catered to were the Olds Motor Vehicle Company and the Ford Motor Company. The business was a success, but pretty soon they began to aim for more. So, fourteen years later, in 1914, the Dodge Brothers Company produced vehicles entirely its own, starting off with the Dodge Model 30. This four-cylinder automobile had an all-steel body, and this was a unique feature at that time, considering that most cars had a wooden body. Further, it had a 12-volt electrical system when the usual system used was the 6-volt electrical system. The Dodge Model 30 also came with a sliding gear transmission. Because of these, Dodge cars became very popular. Not surprisingly, therefore, they have consistently earned the second spot in US sales for four years, that’s from 1916-1920.

Unfortunately, some events happened that would ultimately change the fate of the corporation. First, one of the brothers, John, died of pneumonia. Horace, the other brother, also died later that year. With both brothers gone, the Dodge Brothers Company was managed by their widows. The widows elevated the position of Frederick Haynes, an employee who had been with the Dodge Brothers Company for many long years, to President.

The company, however, failed to make important developments, and before long, the company lost its popularity. So, in 1925, when Dodge dropped three places to rank 5^th in the car industry, the widows of the Dodge brothers sold the company to Dillon, Read and Company (a large investment company), for $146 million. During that time, $146 million as a lot of money!

Naturally, Dillon, Read and Company introduced several changes of its own, beginning with the installation of E.G. Wilmer. Other changes came in the form of trim levels and colors, but they were very minimal. Then in 1927, the Senior six-cylinder line was launched, and while the four-cylinder line was retained, it now assumed a different name, Fast Four.

These changes still were not enough to improve Dodge’s rankings. As a matter of fact, Dodge further dropped to seventh place in 1927. Dillon, Read and Company then decided it was time for a turn-around. As luck would have it, Walter P. Chrysler, chair of the Chrysler Corporation, came into the picture. Chrysler was able to strike a deal with Dillon, Read, and Company in 1928, buying it out for about US$170 million.

Adjustments were then made in order to suit the Chrysler Corporation line-up. One evident change was the trimming down of its lines and models. From three lines and nineteen models, only two lines and thirteen models became available. Prices, too, became just a bit more expensive than the DeSoto line, but not as much as Chrysler. Further, Dodge added a new eight-cylinder line to its already existing six-cylinder line. The basic look of the Dodge line was also restyled to resemble a somewhat Wind Stream look. This significantly increased the sales of Dodge.

Then second world war came, and despite everything else, the war proved to be a blessing in disguise for Dodge. With its military-spec truck models, which were widely appreciated, Dodge was able to somehow restore its reputation.

Some years after the war, Dodge made some major changes on the style of its cars. With much help from its corporate design chief Virgil Exner, Dodge was able to come up with styles that became an instant hit in the market. Since then, Dodge continued to improve the style of its cars. At the same time, it also came up with stronger engines. Then when Chrysler finally phased out the DeSoto brand, Dodge became the sole focus in the middle of the market.

Dodge also ventured into the compact car field. In 1961, it initially came up with the Lancer sedan, a variation of the Valiant, but it did not make good in the market, however. It suffered more losses when Chrysler decided to downside the Dodge and Plymouth cars. Thankfully, this financial predicament did not last very long. In 1965, Dodge was able to replace the downsized models into mid-sized models, which earned favorable reception. It also revived the Coronet and came out with the Charger, a sporty fastback version, both of which became bestsellers in the market. After the Lancer sedan came the Dart range in 1963, and fortunately for Dodge, the Dart range was very much accepted by the public.

Encouraged by these developments, Dodge teamed up with Mitsubishi Motors and used the latter’s subcompact Colt to provide stiff competition with Ford’s Pinto and Chevrolet’s Vega.

Then came the oil crisis in 1973, affecting the whole of United States. Dodge and Chrysler were not spared. Except for the Colt and some models of the Dart line, Dodge’s automobiles gradually lost popularity. Chrysler was likewise experiencing financial difficulties during that time, so it took quite a while for Dodge to get up on its feet again and make certain remedies. One remedy Dodge employed was to use Chrysler’s Horizon from Chrysler’s European Division. This enabled Dodge’s Omni to make a considerable return to the market. Dodge also imported more models from Mitsubishi.

Despite all these, Dodge and Chrysler continued to suffer financially. In fact, the company was on the verge of bankruptcy had Chrysler’s new chairman, Lee Iacocca, not done anything about it. Iacocca requested for federal loan guarantees from the United States Congress. Fortunately, that request was granted, and Chrysler was able to get back on track, coming out with new models that became a huge success.

Some 10 years or so later, Chrysler was able to repay its loan in full and now geared up to make a loud noise in the automobile market. Leading this was Dodge’s Viper, equipped with a Lamborghini-engineered V10 engine. This eventually became known as the New Dodge.

The Dodge cars and trucks are being widely distributed by Chrysler LLC, its mother company, in at least 60 countries.