Dodge

src: st.motortrend.com

Dodge is an American car brand manufactured by Fiat Chrysler (formerly known as Chrysler Group LLC), based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles today include low-priced badge variants of Chrysler-badged vehicles as well as performance cars, although for the most part its existence Dodge is a mid-price Chrysler brand on top of Plymouth.

Established as a Dodge Brothers Company by Horace Elgin Dodge and John Francis Dodge in the early 1900s, Dodge was originally a supplier of parts and assemblies for a Detroit-based car and started building cars complete under the "Dodge Brothers" Brand in 1914, preceding the establishment of Chrysler Corporation. The factory was located in Hamtramck, Michigan, and was called the Dodge Main factory from 1910 until closure in January 1980. The Dodge brothers both died in 1920, and the company was sold by their family to Dillon, Read & amp; Co in 1925 before being sold to Chrysler in 1928. The Dodge vehicle consisted mainly of trucks and full-sized passenger cars during the 1970s, despite impressive compact cars (such as the 1963-1976 Darts) and intermediate cars (such as "B-Body "Coronet and Charger from 1962-79).

The 1973 oil crisis and its impact on the American automobile industry led Chrysler to develop the K platform from compact cars to intermediate models in 1981. The K platform and its derivatives are credited with reviving Chrysler's business in the 1980s; one of the derivatives becomes Dodge Caravan.

The Dodge brand has endured several ownership changes at Chrysler from 1998 to 2009, including a short-term merger with Daimler-Benz AG from 1998 to 2007, subsequent sales to Cerberus Capital Management, a 2009 bailout by the United States government, and subsequent Chapter 11 bankruptcy and acquisition by Fiat.

In 2011, Dodge, Ram, and Dodge Viper were separated. Dodge says that the Dodge Viper will be the SRT product and Ram will be the producer. In 2014, SRT merged back into Dodge. Later that year, Chrysler Group was renamed FCA US LLC, in accordance with Fiat S.p.A. and Chrysler Group into a single corporate structure of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.

Video Dodge

History

Establishments and early years

Horace and John Dodge founded the Dodge Brothers Company in Detroit in 1900, and quickly found the precision machining work of the works and chassis components for the growing number of car companies in the city. Chief among these customers is the existing Old Vehicle Company and the new Ford Motor Company.

The first machine shop where the brothers worked as parts suppliers for Olds and Ford was located at Boydell Building in Beaubien Street in Lafayette in 1900. Its location was replaced by larger facilities on Hastings Street and Monroe Avenue, which is now a parking garage for Greektown Casino Hotel (Hastings Street at this location has been renamed Chrysler Service Drive). In 1910, the Dodge Main plant was built in Hamtramck, where it remained until 1979.

In 1914, John and Horace had designed their own car - the Dodge Model 30-cylinder four. Marketed as a higher upscale competitor to the Ford Model T everywhere, it pioneered or made many standard features that were then considered normal: all-steel body construction (most cars around the world still use wooden frames under steel panels, although Stoneleigh and BSA used steel bodies as early as 1911); The 12-volt power system (6-volt system will remain the norm until the 1950s); 35 horsepower (versus Model T 20), and gear-slide transmission (the Model T best-selling will retain the design of the ancient planet until its destruction in 1927). As a result of this, and the brothers' good reputation for the highest quality trucks, transmissions and motor parts they made for other successful vehicles, the Dodge Brothers car was ranked second to US sales in early 1916. That same year, Henry Ford decided to stop paying stock dividends to finance the construction of its new River Rouge complex. This caused the Dodges to file a lawsuit to protect their annual income of about one million dollars, which caused Ford to buy its shareholders; Dodges paid about 25 million USD. When Dodge's brothers decided to produce their own vehicle, John Dodge was quoted as saying, "Someday, people who own Ford will want a car", and introduced their first car in 1914.

Also in 1916, the Dodge Brothers vehicle won praise for endurance while working with the Pancho Park Expedition of the United States to Mexico. One noteworthy example was in May when the 6th Infantry received a reported observation of Julio CÃÆ'¡rdenas, one of the most trusted subordinates at Villa. Lieutenant George S. Patton led ten soldiers and two civil guides in three Dodge Model 30 cars to carry out an attack on a farmhouse in San Miguelito, Sonora. During the ensuing gunfight, the party killed three people, one of whom was identified as CÃÆ'¡rdenas. Patton's men tied their bodies to the hood of Dodges, returned to headquarters in DublÃÆ'¡n and were greeted with delight by US journalists.

Death of the Dodge brothers, Sales to Chrysler

The Dodge Brothers car continued to occupy the second position in American sales in 1920. However, the same year, the tragedy occurred when John Dodge was dropped by pneumonia in January. His brother Horace later died of cirrhosis in December of the same year (reportedly due to the sadness of losing his brother, who is very close to him). With the loss of the two founders, the Dodge Brothers Company entered the hands of the widows of the brothers, who promoted the old employee Frederick Haynes to the presidency of the company. During this time, Model 30 has evolved into the new 116 Series (although maintaining the same basic construction and engineering features). However, throughout the 1920s, Dodge gradually lost its ranking as the third best-selling car manufacturer, slumping to seventh in the US market.

Dodge Brothers emerged as a leading light truck builder. They also entered into an agreement whereby they market trucks built by Graham Brothers from Evansville, Indiana. The three Graham brothers will eventually produce Graham-Paige and Graham automobiles.

The stalemate in development became apparent, and the public responded by dropping the Dodge Brothers to fifth place in the industry in 1925. That year, the Dodge Brothers company was sold by widows to Dillon's renowned investment group, Read & amp; Co. to no less than US $ 146 million (at that time, the largest cash transaction in history).

Dillon, Read & amp; Co offers non-voting stocks on the market at its Dodge Brothers, Inc. which, together with the sale of bonds can earn $ 160 million, earned $ 14 million (net) profit. All voting shares are maintained by Dillon, Read. Frederick Haynes remains chairman of the company until E.G. Wilmer was appointed chairman of the board in November 1926. Wilmer was a banker with no automatic experience and Haynes remained president. Changes to the car, saving for shallow things like trim levels and colors, remained minimal until 1927, when the new six-cylinder Senior line was introduced. The former four-cylinder was retained, but renamed the Fast Four line to fall into two lighter six-cylinder models (Standard Six and Six Wins) for 1928.

On October 1, 1925, Dodge Brothers, Inc. acquired 51% stake in Graham Brothers, Inc., for $ 13 million and the remaining 49% on May 1, 1926. Three brothers Graham, Robert, Joseph and Ray, assumed management positions at the Dodge Brothers before leaving early in 1927.

Despite all this, Dodge Brothers sales had dropped to seventh in the industry in 1927, and Dillon, Read began looking for someone to take over the company more permanently. Eventually Dodge was sold to the new Chrysler Corporation in 1928.

Pre-war years

In order to better off the Chrysler Corporation, in addition to Plymouth and DeSoto at low prices, the Dodge lineup for early 1930 was trimmed into a core group of two lines and thirteen models (from three rows and nineteen models over a year earlier). Prices start just above DeSoto but are somewhat less than Chrysler's top-of-the-line, in a small-scale recreation of the step-up marketing concept of General Motors. (DeSoto and Dodge will swap places on the market for the 1933 model year, Dodge falls between Plymouth and DeSoto.) When the Plymouth car is sold at a Chrysler dealer, the Dodge branded vehicle is sold as a low-cost alternative to DeSoto.

For 1930, Dodge took another step by adding a new eight-cylinder channel to replace the existing six-cylinder Senior. The basic format of the double line with the Six and Eight models continued until 1933, and the cars were gradually simplified and extended in line with current trends. Dodge Eight was replaced by the larger Dodge DeLuxe Six for 1934, which was dropped for 1935. A remaining six-wheelbase edition of the Six was added for 1936 and will remain a part of the line for many years. To increase production, in 1932 Chrysler built a factory in Los Angeles, California where Chrysler, DeSoto, Dodge and Plymouth vehicles were built until the factory closed in 1971.

The Dodge line, along with most of the company's output, was restyled in the so-called "Wind Stream" for 1935. It was a mild form of downsizing, which saw a tremendous sales surge from a year earlier (though Dodge as a whole still descended to fifth for the year after two years of holding the fourth). Dodge had never gotten the radical Airflow style that led to the sale of depressed Chryslers and DeSotos from 1934 to 1937, as a passenger sedan, but was used on commercial trucks for a short time. Dodge (along with the rest of Chrysler) adds safety features such as a smooth, flat dashboard with no protruding knobs, curved on the door handle, and a cushiony front seat for the rear seaters.

Another great restyle arrived for the 25th birthday model of 1939, called Dodge as the Luxury Ship series. This was once again completely redesigned, with a new body for 1940, again in 1941, and refreshing for 1942. However, only after the 1942 model was introduced, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor forced the closure of the Dodge passenger car assembly line that supported the war production in February 1942 1941 saw the introduction of Fluid Drive for Dodge cars, which removes stalling or bucking if the clutch is released too quickly. This feature places the fluid coupling between the engine and the clutch, although the driver still has to switch gears manually.

World War II

Chrysler was very productive in the production of its warfare equipment from 1942 to 1945, and Dodge was particularly well known to the average citizen and soldier grateful for their powerful military and ambulance truck models like the WC54. Starting with the fast converted VC series and evolving into the famous WC series, Dodge built a strong reputation for itself that is portable to civilian models after the war.

Postwar years

Civil production at Dodge resumed in late 1945, in time for the 1946 model. The "seller market" in the early postwar years, caused by the absence of new cars throughout the war, meant that every automaker found it easy to sell vehicles regardless any loss they may have. Like almost every other carmaker, Dodge sold its lightweight revised facelifted 1942 designs through the 1948 season. As before, this is a single series of six-cylinder models with two trim levels (basic Deluxe or plusher Custom). From 1949 to 1954, Fluid Drive could be combined with "Gyro-Matic," a semi-automatic transmission that reduces (but does not eliminate) the need to move teeth.

Styling was not originally a strong point of Dodge during this period, though it began to change in 1953 under the direction of company design chief Virgil Exner. At the same time, Dodge also introduced its first V8 engine - Red Ram Hemi, a smaller version of the famous original Hemi design. The new body was 1953 smaller and based in Plymouth. For 1954, sales declined, fat styles did not go well with the public. 1954 also saw the introduction of a fully automatic PowerFlite transmission.

Chrysler borrowed $ 250 million from Prudential in 1954 to finance the expansion, acquisition and renewal of the obsolete styling of their car lines contributed to Chrysler who failed to capitalize on the postwar boom like GM and Ford.

Exner led the creation of the new company's "Forward Look" styling in 1955, starting a new era for Dodge. With improved styling and an increasingly powerful engine every year until 1960, Dodge found a ready market for its products because the Americans found the joy of a freeway journey. This situation improved when Dodge introduced a new line of Dodges called Darts to do battle against Ford, Chevrolet and Plymouth. The result is Dodge sales in the middle price class collapsed. Special and regional models are sold as well, including LaFemme (white and orange hardtop trimmed toward women) and Texas, Dodge-accented gold sold at Lone Star State. 1957 saw the introduction of a new automatic transmission, the three-speed TorqueFlite. Both PowerFlite and TorqueFlite were controlled by mechanical buttons until 1965.

Dodge entered the field of compact cars for 1961 with their new Lancer, a variation on Plymouth's Valiant. Although initially unsuccessful, Lancer's successful Dart range in 1963 will prove to be one of the division's top sellers over the years.

Chrysler did make the wrong move to reduce the size of Dodge and Plymouth full size for 1962, which resulted in loss of sales. However, they changed it around 1965 by changing previous sizes into "new" mid-size models; Dodge revives the Coronet's name plate in this way and then adds a sporty fastback version called Charger who is the sales leader and winner of the NASCAR circuit. Not only does this style dominate the racetrack for 4 full years, its aerodynamic improvements forever change the face of NASCAR racing.

The full-size model evolves gradually over this time. After Dodge dealers complained about not having an actual full-size car in the fall of 1961, Custom 880 rushed into production. Custom 880 uses 1962 Chrysler Newport body with 1961 Dodge front end and interior. The 880 continued to be 1965, the year that a completely new full size body was put into production, Polara entered the middle price class and Monaco was added as the top series. The Polara and Monaco are changed mostly in appearance over the next ten years or so. Unique "plane" styles were used for 1969 to 1973 and then softened again for models from 1974 to 1977.

Dodge targeted the muscle car market of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Along with Chargers, models like Coronet R/T and Super Bee are popular with buyers looking for performance. The culmination of this effort was the introduction of the Challenger and convertible sports coupe (Dodge entered the "horse car" class) in 1970, offering everything from light engine economy to Hemi V8 ready-to-wear in the same package.

In an effort to reach every market segment, Dodge even reaches the Pacific Rim for its partner, Mitsubishi Motors, and markets their subcompact as a Colt to compete with AMC Gremlin, Chevrolet Vega, and Ford Pinto. Chrysler over the years will rely heavily on their relationship with Mitsubishi. At the same time, Dodge got the Plymouth Duster version, marketed as Dodge Demon. It's cheap, but with six tilt engines (or V8), the Demon can not achieve the fuel economy of a four-cylinder Colt. The Demon is sold in much less amounts than Duster, so it is considered more collectable today, especially the V8 version.

Time of crisis

The 1973 oil crisis caused significant changes in Dodge, as well as Chrysler as a whole. Except for the Colt and Slant Six models of Darts, the Dodge lineup quickly looks very inefficient. To be honest, this applies to most American car makers at the time, but Chrysler is also not in the best financial condition to do anything about. As a result, while General Motors and Ford quickly began lowering their biggest car, Chrysler (and Dodge) moved more slowly due to necessity.

At least, Chrysler is able to use several other resources. Borrowing a newly introduced Chrysler Horizon from their European division, Dodge is able to get Omni's new subcompact on the market pretty quickly. At the same time, they increased the number of models imported from Japan's Mitsubishi partners starting in 1971: first came the smaller Colt (based on the Galant Mitsubishi line), then the Challenger (Dodge Challenger) revival in 1976 as a compact hardtop coupe with nothing more from four cylinders under the hood, rather than the booming V8.

Dart was replaced by the new Aspen for 1976, and Coronet and Charger were effectively replaced by Diplomats for 1977, which is actually the more luxurious Aspen. While Aspen gets the award for styling and handling, building quality problems, damaging the car's reputation at a time when sales are badly needed. Meanwhile, the great Monaco (Royal Monaco began in 1977 when the medium-sized Coronet model was renamed "Monaco") wandered around 1977, losing sales every year, until it was replaced by St Monaco. Regis for 1979 after a year absence from the big car market. In contrast to what happened in 1965, St. Regis is a great Coronet.

It all came into being in 1979 when Chrysler's new chairman, Lee Iacocca, requested and received federal loan guarantees from the US Congress in an effort to save the company from the necessity of filing for bankruptcy. With Federal Loans in hand, Chrysler is quickly starting to work on new models that will leave the past, while reorganizing to repay a government loan of 29%.

K-Cars and minivans

The first fruit of the Chrysler accident development program is "K-Car", the Dodge version which is Dodge Aries. This long and durable front-wheel drive platform delivered new models at Dodge during the 1980s, including the innovative Dodge Caravan. The Caravan not only helps save Chrysler as a serious, large-volume American car manufacturer, it also spawned an entirely new market segment that remains popular today: minivans.

Through the late 1980s and 1990s, Dodge's appointment as a sports car division was supported by succession of high-performance and/or aggressive models including the Daytona, medium-sized 600 and several Lancer versions. Dodge Spirit sedans are well received in many markets around the world. The Omni remained in line until 1990. Mitsubishi's branded Dodge vehicle was gradually phased out in 1993 except for the Dodge Stealth operating until 1996, although Mitsubishi-made engines and electrical components are still widely used in Chrysler's domestic products in America. In 1992, Dodge moved their performance orientation forward substantially with the Viper, which featured an aluminum V10 engine and a sportster composite roadster body. This is the first step in what is marketed as "The New Dodge", which is an aggressive advertising campaign with a new litany of models, with television ads narrated by Edward Herrmann who demonstrate innovation in vehicles and challenge their competitors. Later that year, the introduction of the new Intrepid sedan, which was completely different from its predecessors of the Boxy Dynasty and, in 1994, the newly introduced second-generation Dodge Ram pickup with a thick style that departed radically from the design of truck boxes made by the big 3. over the past two decades. The Intrepid uses what Chrysler calls the "front cabin" styling, with wheels pushed into a chassis corner for maximum passenger space. They follow up this idea on a smaller scale with Neon and Stratus. Neon features smart marketing campaigns and good performance.

Maps Dodge

The modern era

DaimlerChrysler & amp; private ownership

In a move that never matched expectations of its driving force, Chrysler Corporation merged with Daimler-Benz AG in 1998 to form DaimlerChrysler. The rationalization of Chrysler's broad lineup was a priority, and Dodge's sister, Plymouth, was withdrawn from the market. With this move, Dodge became DaimlerChrysler's low-price division as well as its performance division.

Intrepid, Stratus and Neon updates from the 1998 to 2000 timeframes were largely complete before Daimler's presence, and Dodge's first experience of sharing any platform with the German company was the 2005 Magnum station cart, introduced as a substitute for Intrepid. Featuring Chrysler's first major rear-wheel drive platform since the 1980s and the revival of the Hemi V8 engine. Charger launched in 2006 on the same platform.

Further cost savings are explored in the form of an extensive platform-sharing arrangement with Mitsubishi, which gave birth to the Kaliber subcompact as a substitute for Neon, and the Avenger sedan. The rear-drive chassis was then used in early 2008 to build a new Challenger, with a style reminiscent of the original 1970 Challenger. Like its predecessor, the new Challenger coupe is available with a powerful V8 engine (the basic model featuring the V6). In Spring 2007, DaimlerChrysler reached an agreement with Cerberus Capital Management to sell a subsidiary of the Chrysler Group, where Dodge's division was part of it. Soon after, the housing bubble began to tear down the American market, and on May 1, 2009, Chrysler and GM filed for bankruptcy on the same day.

Fiat ownership

On June 10, 2009, Italian automotive company Fiat partnered with Chrysler under Sergio Marchionne, with UAW, and the US Government to form Chrysler Group LLC, which Dodge remains fully integrated. For its part, the US Government provides over $ 6 billion in loans of 21%, called "bridge loans" or "bailout". The newly formed company went on to repay the loan, remortgaging to reduce interest rates several times to 6%. They paid off all interest-bearing loans to the US Government on May 24, 2011, five full years earlier. The UAW, a partner throughout the process, is well paid and above $ 3.9 billion in 2013 as Sergio's plan for full consolidation has continued on schedule. This has enabled Chrysler LLC to fully join Fiat to form FCA, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, by 2014. The combined company will be based in London.

In 2013, Dodge reintroduced a compact car based on the Alfa-Romeo design called Dart. This is the first new Dodge model produced under the FCA.

On May 6, 2014, the FCA announced a massive restructuring, in which Dodge will only focus on performance vehicles and will be positioned between Chrysler (which moves down into mainstream vehicles) and launches Alfa Romeo (making its return to North America after 20 years of absence ) in the FCA line. This is a similar arrangement to PSA Peugeot CitroÃÆ'ÂÂ n, which positions Peugeot as the main conservative brand while CitroÃÆ'½ is more performance-based, as well as Hyundai Motor Group owns two major brands, Kia Motors and Hyundai Motor Company that focus on performance and mid luxury, respectively. (Among the American press, he has drawn comparisons with the establishment of Chevrolet and Pontiac at General Motors some decades before the Pontiac exit phase in 2010.) As part of the restructuring, Dodge will stop Dodge Grand Caravan (after 32 years) and Dodge Avenger without replacement, while launching a subcompact sportsmanship under Darts in 2018. In addition, while Ram Truck's division will remain separate (although Dodge Durango will still be produced as a Dodge), the SRT division is re-merged into Dodge.

src: icdn-8.motor1.com

Dodge trucks

For decades, Dodge at least became famous for its many truck models, because of its exceptional passenger car output. However, in 2009 - after almost a century - a decision was made to separate Dodge trucks into a separate Ram brand, starting with the 2011 model year; named after the most popular brand truck path: Dodge Ram.
Nevertheless, although Ram trucks are marketed separately from Dodge cars, President Ram Fred Diaz stated that:

"Ram trucks will always and forever become Dodges.Rams will always have the Dodge insignia inside and outside and they will 'vinned' (from VIN acronym, or Vehicle Identification Number) as Dodge. market it as a Ram so Dodge can have a different brand identity: hip, cool, young, energetic.That would not be suitable for a truck buyer campaign Both have to have different themes. "

Pickup and medium to heavy truck

Since the beginning of its history in 1914, Dodge has offered a light truck model. During the first few years, this was largely based on existing passenger cars, but ultimately gained their own chassis and body design as the market matured. Light and medium duty models were offered first, then heavy duty ranges were added during the 1930s and 1940s. The location of the Warren Truck Assembly opened in 1938, and the Dodge truck has been made there ever since.

After World War II and successful application of four wheel drive to the truck lane, Dodge introduced a civilian version called Power Wagon. Initially based almost exclusively on military type designs, the variant of the standard truck line was finally given 4WD and the name "Power Wagon" the same.

Dodge was among the first to introduce a car-like feature to his truck, adding a luxury Adventurer package during the 1960s and offering sedan-like space on Club Cab bodies in the 1970s. The declining sales and increasing competition during the 1970s ultimately forced the company to drop its medium and heavy-duty model, an arena that has just begun to re-enter.

Dodge introduced what they called "Adult Toys" to boost truck sales in the late 1970s, starting with a limited edition Lil 'Red Express pickup (featuring a 360-kiss police interceptor and a large rig-style exhaust stack). Later Warlock appeared more widely available. Other "Adult Toys" from Dodge include "Macho Power Wagon" and "Street Van".

As part of the general decline in commercial vehicles during the 1970s, Dodge abolished their heavy-duty LCF Series trucks in 1975, along with D-Series Bighorn and medium-duty trucks, and the affiliated S Series school bus was dropped in 1978 the other hand, Dodge produced several thousand pickups for the United States Military under the CUCV program from the late 1970s to the early 1980s.

Continuing the financial problem meant that even Dodge's light duty models - renamed as the Ram Pickup line for 1981 - carried away with the most minimal updates until 1993. Two things helped revitalize Dodge's wealth during this time. One of them is the introduction of a reliable and reliable B Series turbo-diesel engine as an option for 1989. This innovation enhances Dodge's profile among consumers who need power to withdraw or large loads. The second is an exclusive class V8 engine choice for medium-sized Dakota pickups.

Dodge introduced the recent "big-rig" Ram styling treatments for 1994. In addition to polarization, exposure was also obtained with the use of a new truck on the hit Walker, Texas Ranger hit TV show starring Chuck Norris. The new Ram also features an entirely new interior with a console box large enough to accommodate laptop computers, and ventilation and radio controls designed for ease of use even with gloves. The V10 engine derived from those used in the Viper sports car is also new, and the previously offered Cummins turbo-diesel remains available. The smaller Dakota was redesigned in the same tone for 1997, thus giving Dodge a definitive "face" truck that sets them apart from the competition.

Ram was redesigned again for 2002 (Dakota in 2005), basically as an evolution from the original but now featuring the revival of the legendary Hemi V8 Chrysler. The new mid-duty chassis-cabin model was introduced for 2007 (with Cummins turbo-diesel power standards), as a way to gradually get Dodge back in the business truck market again.

For a while during the 1980s, Dodge also imported a series of small pickups from Mitsubishi. Known as the D50 or (later) Ram 50, they were brought in as a temporary replacement until Dakota sales eventually made imported trucks irrelevant. (Mitsubishi recently bought Dakota pickup from Dodge and fixed them into their own Raider line for sale in North America.)

Vans

Dodge has been offering panel delivery models for years since its inception, but their first artificial van model arrived in 1964 with a compact A Series. Based on the Dodge Dart platform and using a proven six-cylinder or V8 engine, the A-series is a strong competitor to both its domestic rivals (from Ford and Chevrolet/GMC) and the small Volkswagen Transporter line.

As the market evolves, however, Dodge realizes that a bigger and stronger van line will be needed in the future. Thus Series B, introduced for 1971, offers comforts like a car in the Sportsman passenger line or wide space for equipment and materials in the Tradesman cargo line. A chassis-cab version is also offered, for use with larger cargo boxes or flatbeds.

Like trucks, though, Chrysler's financial difficulties in the late 1970s hindered major renewals for the van over the years. Released as Ram Van and Ram Wagon for 1981, this noble design lasted for 33 years with little more than cosmetic and safety updates all the way through 2003.

The incorporation of DaimlerChrysler in 1999 enabled Dodge to explore new ideas; the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter line from the European van was brought in and given the Dodge styling treatment. Redesigned for 2006 as a 2007 model year, economical diesel-powered Sprinters have become very popular for urban usage among shipping companies like FedEx and UPS in recent years. Due to their ultimate fuel efficiency motor manufacturers Thor Motor Coach makes several Class C and Class A Motorhomes available on Dodge Sprinter Chassis including their popular Four Winds Siesta & amp; Chateau Citation product line.

Dodge also offers the best-selling Caravan cargo version for years, initially calling it Mini Ram Van (the name originally applied to the short wheelbase B-Series Ram Vans) and then dub it's Caravan C/V (for "Van Cargo"). However, for the 2011 model year, Caravan C/V was renamed to Ram, called Ram C/V.

Sport utility vehicles

Dodge's first experiment with something like an SUV vehicle appeared in the late 1950s with their standard panel truck window version - known as the Town Wagon. It was built in the same style until the mid-1960s.

But the division did not enter the SUV arena in earnest until 1974, with a specially built Ramcharger. Offering popular open body style and powerful Dodge V8 engine, Ramcharger is a strong contender for trucks such as Ford Bronco, Chevrolet Blazer and International Harvester Scout II.

Once again, Dodge was left with obsolete products during the 1980s when the market evolved. The Ramcharger lasted until 1993 with only a few updates. When the Ram truck was redesigned for the 1994 model year, Ramcharger was discontinued in the US and Canada markets. Versions using updated styles are made for Mexican Markets but never imported into the US or Canada.

Instead, Dodge tried something new in 1997. Using a mid-sized Dakota pickup chassis as a base, they built a four-door Durango SUV with seats for eight people and created a new niche. Measuring between small SUVs (such as the Chevrolet Blazer and Ford Explorer) and larger models (like the Chevrolet Tahoe and Ford Expedition), Durango is a bit more and less than anything. The redesigned version for 2004 grew slightly in every dimension, being a full-size SUV (and thus somewhat less efficient), but still sized between most of its competitors on both sides of the aisle. For 2011 the new Durango Unibody based on Jeep Grand Cherokee was released. Durango 2011 shrank slightly to a size comparable to the original model.

Dodge also imported the popular version of Mitsubishi Montero (Pajero in Japan) as Raider from 1987 to 1989.

High-performing vehicles

From the end of the 20th century onwards, Dodge's highest-performing vehicle fell under the SRT category. These models are often equipped with high performance, high displacement, but low fuel economy, V8 under the hood. These models include the SRT8 Challenger, SRT8 Charger, Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8, and low performance Dart/Neon SRT4. In 2015, FCA introduces Hellcat, 707 HP, 6.2L HEMI V8 supercharged. This vehicle is at the top of the FCA performance lineup, with the exception of the Viper supported 8.4L V10. In 2017, the FCA introduced the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk to the lineup, which is the Jeep Grand Cherokee with Hellcat V8 under the hood. Other performance modifications include the Trackhawk special wheel, and the muscular quad exhaust arrangement. Also released in 2017 is the Dodge Challenger Demon. It is powered by 840 HP supercharged 6.2L HEMI V8 (not to be confused with Hellcat HEMI), and comes from the factory with a toolbox known as "Demon Toolbox" which has everything the buyer needs to drag races, including the skinny front drag tires. However, buyers will only get 840 HP on racing fuel. At a typical pump gas, it generates 808 HP, an increase of 101 HP over Hellcat.

src: www.dodge.com

International markets

Argentina

Dodge came to Argentina in the early 20th century with imported cars and trucks. In 1960, he partnered with Fevre-Basset as a local manufacturer. The first vehicle made in Argentina was a D-100 "Sweptline" pickup. Between 1961 and 1980, trucks were produced, including the D-400/DP-400, D-500/DP-500, DP600, DD900 and DD1000 (the latter two with one curiosity: the air-cooled Deutz engine instead of Perkins or Chrysler). Passenger cars are also produced, namely Valiant I and II, and local versions of Dodge Dart 1966 (called Valiant III and IV). In 1971, Dodge 1500, a rejuvenated Hillman Avenger from England was introduced. In 1982, the production of Dodge vehicles ceased when the German company Volkswagen bought the Fevre plant and its shares.

In Argentina, the name "Polara" is used to refer to a series of vehicles developed on the basis of fourth generation North American Dodge Dart. These cars were manufactured between 1968 and 1980, by the Argentine subsidiary Chrysler-Fevre S.A.

In 1993, Dodge began to market cars and pick-ups directly in Argentina. Currently, both Travel and Ram are available to Argentine customers.

Asia

Dodge entered the Japanese market in mid-2007, and re-entered the Chinese market in late 2007. Soueast Motors of China assembles Caravan for the Chinese market. Dodge has been marketing its vehicles in South Korea since 2004, starting with Dakota.

The Dodge vehicle has been sold in the Middle East for a much longer period.

Australia

Dodge re-entered the Australian market in 2006 with Caliber, their first offer since the AT4/D5N truck in 1979 and the first Dodge passenger car marketed in Australia since the Phoenix sedan was discontinued in 1973. The second model to be introduced is Nitro, with Avenger and Journey followed. Dodge chose not to use the complete model line and the engines available to them, the 2.7L V6 is available on Journey and Avenger, not version 3.2 in North America. However they introduced diesels in all their cars. After the Global Financial Crisis, Chrysler introduced the Caliber facelift model and stopped the import of Avenger. Starting early 2012, 2010 model year cars are available. In early 2012 no new cars were brought to Australia apart from the new Journey 2012.

There is now a rumor that Dodge cars will be re-tagged as Fiat in the Australian market as it did in Europe. In contrast, recent speculation indicates that the Dodge signboards will continue until at least 2015, due to consistent sales of Journey.

Brazil

In Brazil, Dodge cars were produced between 1969 and 1981 with the Dart, Charger, Magnum, LeBaron models (all powered by the same 318 cc V8 engine), and the 1800/Polara compact, based on British Hillman Avenger. The manufacturer was acquired by Volkswagen in 1981. In 1998, the Dakota pickup started production at a new plant in Campo Largo, ParanÃÆ'¡ by Mercedes-Benz, owned by its former partner Daimler AG. Built there until 2001 with gasoline and diesel engines and regular cabins, extended and crew. In 2010, Dodge began sales of Ram 2500 pickup imports. The model portfolio is being expanded, starting with the Journey crossover for 2009 models.

Canada

In Canada, the Dodge line of cars began down the road to elimination along with the Plymouth line when in 1988 the Dodge Dynasty was sold in Canada as the Chrysler Dynasty and sold at both Plymouth and Dodge dealers. Similarly, the new Dodge Intrepid, a Dynasty substitute, is sold as Chrysler Intrepid.

For 2000, Neon became Chrysler Neon. Chrysler Cirrus and Mitsubishi-built Dodge Avenger were dropped. The Dodge truck, which has been sold at a Plymouth Plymouth dealer since 1973, continues unchanged. All Plymouth-Chrysler and Dodge-Chrysler dealers become Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep dealers.

The depletion of the Chrysler name does not go well in Canada, especially since the nameplate has been pushed as a luxury line since the 1930s. For 2003, the revamped Neon appeared in Canada as Dodge SX 2.0. Since then, all new Dodge models have been sold in Canada under the name Dodge.

Europe

Dodge began assembling lorries in the United Kingdom, from imported parts, in 1922. In 1933, began producing British chassis, in his works at Kew, using American machines and gearboxes.

Dodge drive truck right

After Chrysler took over the Rootes Group of Britain, Simca of France, and Barreiros of Spain, and the formation of Chrysler Europe in the late 1960s, the Dodge brand was used on light commercial vehicles, most of which were Commer or Karrier brands before, on pickup and van from Simca 1100, in Dodge Dart Spain, and heavy trucks built in Spain. The most common is the Dodge 50 series, which is widely used by utility and military companies, but rarely seen outside the UK, and the Spanish heavy-duty 300 series is available as 4x2, 6x4, 8x2 and 8x4 rigs, as well as semi-trailer tractors 4x2. All of these are also sold in selected export markets either as Fargo or De Soto.

After the collapse of Chrysler Europe in 1977, and the sale of their assets to Peugeot, the Chrysler/Dodge factory of England and Spain were quickly relayed to Renault VÃÆ' Â © hicules Industriels. Chrysler licensed the Dodge name for use on Renault trucks sold in certain European markets - notably the United Kingdom, although it was eventually returned to Renault when the related model was discontinued. They will eventually drop this product altogether and use plants to produce engines (in the UK) and Renault's "real" truck models in Spain. The Dodge vehicle would not return to Britain until the introduction of the Neon, emblazoned as Chrysler, in the mid-1990s.

Marque Dodge was introduced back to Europe on a large scale in 2006, with a lineup consisting of Caliber, Avenger, Viper SRT-10, Nitro and Dodge Journey. However, in 2010 Chrysler attracted the Dodge marque from the British lineup due to poor sales. On June 1, 2011, Dodge's name was derived from across Europe when it was replaced by the Fiat brand, where Fiat rebaps Dodge Journey as Fiat Freemont. However, Freemont is not available in the ranks of the Irish or English Fiat.

Mexico

In Mexico, Hyundai Accent, Hyundai Atos, and Hyundai H100 are branded as "Dodge", Dodge Attitude, "Verna by Dodge", "Atos by Dodge" and "Dodge H100" respectively, and sold at Chrysler/Dodge dealerships. The model is currently marketed with the Hyundai logo as a replacement for the "Ram" logo on the previous model since 2004 in 2014. Dodge and Hyundai end the business and Dodge will use rejuvenated and reworked Fiat (2014). Also, until next year with Mitsubishi Mirage sold as a new Dodge Attitude since 2015.

src: www.maxim.com

Logos

• Star: The original Dodge is a circle, with two deliberate Greek deltas representing the letter "D", forming a six-pointed star in the center; The linked "DB" is at the center of the star, and the words "Dodge Brothers Motor Vehicles" encircle the outside. Though similar to the Star of David, the Dodge brothers were not Jews; they are Methodists. Although the "Brother" was dropped from the name for the truck in 1929 and the car in 1930, the DB star remained in the car until the 1939 model was introduced.
• Ram: For 1932 the Dodge car adopted a ram that jumped as a hood ornament. Starting with the 1940 model, the ram jumped to be slimmer and in 1951 only the head, complete with curved horns, was left. The 1954 model car was the last to use ram heads before being reintroduced in the 1980s. Dodge trucks adopted ram as a hood ornament for the 1940 model with the 1950 model as the last.
• Crest: For 1941 Dodge introduced the emblem, supposedly the Dodge family emblem. The design has four horizontal bars broken in the middle by a vertical bar with "O" in the middle. The knight's head appears at the top of the emblem. Although the head will be dropped for 1955, it will survive until 1957 and reappear in Aspen in 1976. This peak will be used until 1981 for the second time, replaced by Pentastar for 1982. The head of the knight without the emblem will be used for 1959.
• Forward Look: Virgil Exner's radical Forward Look redesign of Chrysler vehicles for 1955 confirmed by adopting a logo of the same name, applied to all Chrysler Corporation vehicles. The Forward Look logo consists of two overlapping boomerang shapes, which signify the motion of space-age rockets. The logo was incorporated into Dodge ads, decorative trim, ignition and door locks, and accessories until September 1962.
• Fratzog: The Dodge logo from September 1962 to 1981 was a cracked deltoid consisting of three arrows forming a three-pointed star. The logo first appeared in 1962 Polara 500 and mid-1962 Custom 880. One of its designers appeared with a name without a Fratzog meaning for the logo, which eventually got stuck. As a Dodge Division logo, Fratzog is included in various badges and emblems on Dodge vehicles. It is also integrated into the design of parts such as steering wheel hubs and wheelchair covers.
• Pentastar: From 1982 to 1995, Dodge used the Chrysler Pentastar logo on his car and truck to replace the Dodge crest, although it has been used for corporate recognition since late 1962. In advertisements and dealer signboards, Dodge Pentastar is red, while Chrysler -Plymouth is blue.
• Ram's Head: Dodge reintroduces the ram's headpiece on the new Dodge Bighorn 1973 heavy-duty tractor unit. Gradually the head of ram began to appear in the pickup trucks when Dodge started calling their truck as Ram. At Ram's head logo iteration appeared at the end of 1992 at Intrepid 1993, standardizing on the logo in 1996 for all vehicles except Viper, which uses the Viper Head.
• New logo: In 2010, with Ram brand separation, two new Dodge logos were unveiled. The first logo displays the word "DODGE" with two slashes. It was originally used strictly for marketing purposes, but Dodge introduced the logo to the grille of the 2012 lineup.

The second emblem was revealed during the opening of Durango 2011, which used the same five-point shield edge of the old emblem, but with the ram's head replaced with a chrome cross reminiscent of a cross-bridged mark. This is only used on the steering wheel. In 2014, the cross logo is replaced with the word "DODGE" on the Durango steering wheel. The modified version of the Ram head logo is still used for the Ram brand, with "RAM" written on the underside of white or black bold.

Dodge logo evolution

src: www.autoguide.com

Slogan

• Dependency, The Dependables. (1920 -1967)
• Ring of Fever. (1968-1969)
• You Can Be Dodge Materials. (1970-1971)
• The American Revolution. (1982-1989) (slogan recycled by Chevrolet, GM brand in 2005)
• New Dodge. (1992-2000)
• Dodge. Different. (2000-2001)
• Hold life with horns. (2001-2007, especially for the Dodge truck market)
• Get to life. (2007 - mid June 2010, in Ram pickup truck ad)
• Do not be neutral. (2010-present)
• Please. Glory. Ram. (2010-present, Truck Ram division)
• Born Dodge. (2014-present)
• Domestic. Not Domesticated. (2016-present)

src: i.ytimg.com

List of Dodge cars

Current model

Notes

Previous model

src: st.motortrend.com

See also

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Note

src: upload.wikimedia.org

References

• Brinkley, Douglas (2004). Wheels for the World: Henry Ford, His Company, and Century of Progress, 1903-2003. ISBNÃ, 0-14-200439-1.
• Burness, Tad (2001). Truck & amp; Van Spotter Guide 1925-1990. ISBNÃ, 0-87341-969-3.
• Gunnell, John A., ed. (1987). American Standard Cars Catalog 1946-1975 . Kraus Publications. ISBNÃ, 0-87341-096-3.
• Gunnell, John A., ed. (1993). American Light-Duty Truck Standard Catalog, Second Edition. ISBNÃ, 0-87341-238-9.
• Lenzke, James T., ed. (2000) Chrysler Standard Catalog 1914-2000. ISBNÃ, 0-87341-882-4.
• Ruiz, Marco (1986). Japanese car. ISBNÃ, 0-517-61777-3.
• Vlasic, Bill and Stertz, Bradley A. (2000). Brought to Ride: How Daimler-Benz Drove with Chrysler. ISBNÃ, 0-688-17305-5.

src: hennesseyperformance.com

External links

• Dodge USA
• Dodge Release
• Dodge Canada
• Dodge Australia
• Allpar Mopar Vehicles
• FleetData: Dodge History in the UK - Road Transport website
• Dodge Channels on YouTube
• Dodge RAM

Fleet Data Society

• ww2dodge.com - WW II Dodge Truck History: site for military Dodge produced 1939-1945
• Old Dodges.com - Sites devoted to Dodge Medium and Heavy-Duty Trucks of the 1960s and 1970s, primarily focusing on Dodge Bighorn Trucks (1973-1975).

Source of the article : Wikipedia