A Brief History of the Dodge Brothers

Think about your favorite Dodge vehicle. Whether it’s the Durango, the Challenger, or something in between, you can thank John Francis Dodge and Horace Elgin Dodge for starting the Dodge brand and setting the stage for the development of reliable vehicles. Below, you can read about the history of the Dodge brothers so you can understand how the Dodge brand came to be what it is today.

The Dodge family originally hails from Stockport, England, but John Francis Dodge and Horace Elgin Dodge were a pair of brothers born in Niles, Michigan. John was a little more than three years Horace’s senior, and the two brothers grew up as an inseparable pair. Their father was the owner of a  foundry and machine business, so the boys grew up around machinery and mechanisms and learned how they worked. Despite being from a hard-working family, the Dodge brothers came from a humble background.

While Niles was their birthplace, the young boys didn’t remain there forever. In 1886, when John was in his early 20s and Horace was in his late teens, the Dodge family packed up their bags and relocated to Detroit, Michigan. Once in Detroit, the brothers experimented with different careers. They worked at a boilermaker plant from approximately 1886 to 1894. In 1894, they found jobs with the Canadian Typograph Company as machinists. This location was a bit farther, as it was across the Detroit River in Ontario, but the brothers had a solid work ethic that made the effort worthwhile.

Cars weren’t always the bread and butter of the Dodge brothers. They actually explored the entrepreneurial world by first building bicycles . To understand their entry into the world of bicycle manufacturing, you can first learn about their way of collaborating with one another. The brothers had an effective system that allowed them to create a natural partnership. Horace was the creative genius behind their alliance, as he was a habitual tinkerer and a talented mechanic. On the other hand, John was the businessman of the duo. He had a managerial-oriented mindset and was responsible for closing deals for the brothers.

Their partnership became evident when Horace created the first-ever ball bearing that was dirt-proof in 1897. Shortly thereafter, John communicated with investor Fred. S Evans and led efforts to open the Evans & Dodge Bicycle Company. The Dodges leased space at their former place of employment, the Canadian Typograph Company, for two years so they had somewhere to build their ball bearings and bicycles. In 1900, the Dodges sold the company and used the profits from the sale to open their own Detroit-based machine shop. It was here that they began to focus exclusively on making automobile parts.

Once the Dodges opened their own machine shop, they wouldn’t work alone for much longer. They managed to secure a contract for the Olds Motor Vehicle Company to build transmissions. This contract helped them prove their commitment to providing a high level of service and quality to every transmission they manufactured. Their work was so admirable that the Olds Motor Vehicle Company, which was now known as Oldsmobile, offered them a second contract. However, the Dodges declined it in favor to work with Ford Motor Company.

The Dodges redesigned their shop so they could focus exclusively on building engines for Ford vehicles. As part of the Dodges’ agreement with Ford Motor Company, they also got to become partial owners of the company. From 1903 to 1913, the Dodges continued to work for Ford. They were so successful that they had to build another manufacturing plant in Hamtramck, Michigan, so they could keep up with demand.

Even though the Dodges experienced great financial success and continued to develop their reputation by working with Ford, they decided to branch off on their own in 1913. They began to work toward creating a vehicle of their own. Just one year later in late 1914, they introduced the Dodge Model 30 to the public as a vehicle that would challenge the Ford Model T.

From 1914 to 1918, the brothers produced vehicles, including ambulances and motor trucks, for the American military during World War I. At the conclusion of World War I, the Dodges shifted their focus to producing trucks and cars for everyday consumers.

Sadly, both the Dodge brothers passed away in 1920 due to complications from the flu. Their business would prevail, though, as the widows of both Horace and John sold the business to investment bankers at Dillon, Read & Co in 1925. This deal was worth $146 million, but Dillon, Read & Co. quickly proved its status as an investment banking company rather than a company with automobile expertise. With little experience in the automobile industry, the investors tried to make Dodge a luxury car brand but priced its vehicles well above its competitors’ vehicles.

Walter P. Chrysler bought the company in 1928. With this purchase, he saved the company from going under, as it was just barely staying afloat at the time due to a serious decline in sales. With his acquisition of Dodge, Chrysler attempted to compete with Ford and General Motors. He now had four auto brands to work with, which were Dodge, Chrysler, DeSoto, and Plymouth. Even though DeSoto and Plymouth are no longer around today, Walter Chrysler experienced massive success as he began to cater to different market segments.

Under Chrysler’s leadership, Dodge experienced improvements in terms of innovation, style, and production efficiency. When World War II began, Dodge focused on making vehicles to support the American cause. After the war, Dodge created a line of cars that was focused on power and style, which caused it to become known as Chrysler’s performance brand.

After learning about the history of the Dodge brothers and their brand after their passing, you may have a strong desire to get behind the wheel of a Dodge vehicle. Luckily, you don’t have to search far and wide, as you can head to our dealership at Campbell CDJR in Benton, Arkansas. Here, you can browse our inventory of new Dodge vehicles so you can find the perfect fit for you. Contact us today to get in touch with our knowledgeable and friendly sales agents who are eager to assist in any way they can.

Vintage 70s by Alexandros Athanasopoulos is licensed with Unsplash License