Dodge is an automobile brand with a long history in the United States. For many years, Dodge was owned by the U.S.-based Chrysler Corporation. Today, the brand is owned by the Stellantis company, based in the Netherlands. Dodge vehicles have included such models as the Caravan minivan, the sporty Challenger and Charger, a popular line of trucks, and the classic Coronet and Dart.
Horace E. and John F. Dodge, mechanic and automaker brothers from Michigan, founded Dodge Brothers, Inc., in 1914. Their first car, the 1915 Model 30, achieved quick success. Advertisements used the word dependability to describe these early Dodges. In 1916, Dodge cars led the U.S. Army’s first assault using motor vehicles during a fight with Mexican bandits led by Pancho Villa. During World War I (1914-1918), the U.S. military used Dodge vehicles as ambulances and to transport soldiers. Dodge also manufactured parts for French field guns.
In 1920, both Dodge brothers died as a result of an influenza epidemic (outbreak). The brothers’ widows took control of the company. In 1925, they sold it to the investment firm of Dillon, Read, and Company for $146 million—the largest ever cash transaction at that time. Dodge continued to make automobiles, but sales declined. The American automaker Walter P. Chrysler purchased Dodge in 1928, adding it to the Chrysler Corporation.
During World War II (1939-1945), the U.S. government halted automobile production to focus on wartime needs. From early 1942 to August 1945, Dodge factories turned out ambulances, ammunition, and command cars for transporting high-level military officers. They produced parts for guns and tanks as well as engines for the B-29 Superfortress bomber. After the war, Dodge converted some of its military vehicles to civilian use. One of these vehicles produced for civilians was a truck called the Power Wagon.
The 1949 Dodge Coronet featured a “GyroMatic” semiautomatic transmission. At the time, automobiles were equipped with manual transmissions. Manual transmissions required a driver to operate a gearshift and clutch to change gears. With a semiautomatic transmission, the driver had to change gears manually only under certain circumstances. See Transmission .
The first “Hemi” V-8, a strong eight-cylinder engine, powered the 1953 Royal (see Automobile (The engine block) ). Dodge tried to appeal to women drivers with the 1955 La Femme. The pink-and-white cars came with matching accessories, including a purse and umbrella. The popular, affordable Dodge Dart appeared in 1961, as did the compact Lancer. The sporty Charger debuted in 1966, beginning the era of muscle cars (large cars with powerful engines). Other Dodge muscle cars included the Challenger, Coronet R/T, and Super Bee.
New pollution standards and fuel crises in the 1970’s turned the auto industry toward smaller, more fuel-efficient models. Such small models as the Dodge Colt, imported from the Japanese automaker Mitsubishi, provided consumers with other choices besides larger cars with poor gas mileage. Also during the 1970’s, however, Dodge’s parent corporation, Chrysler, suffered a failure in the European market and disastrous recalls of faulty cars. In 1980, the U.S. government responded to Chrysler’s pleas for financial assistance to avoid bankruptcy by guaranteeing $1 1/2 billion in private loans to the company.
Lee Iacocca , who had become chairman of the board of Chrysler in 1979, reversed the company’s fortunes. The company repaid the government-guaranteed loans in 1983, seven years ahead of schedule. Dodge Ram trucks debuted in 1981 and sold well. The Dodge Caravan minivan, introduced in 1984, also became a success.
Chrysler sales declined in the 1990’s. Beginning in 1998, the Chrysler company, including the Dodge brand, underwent several ownership changes and mergers. In 2021, the Stellantis company acquired the Chrysler and Dodge automobile brands.
