Dodge

History

Founding and early years

Horace and John Dodge founded the Dodge Brothers Company in Detroit in 1900, and quickly found work manufacturing precision engine and chassis components for the city's growing number of automobile firms. Chief among them were the established Olds Motor Vehicle Company and the new Ford Motor Company. Henry Ford selected the Dodge brothers to supply a wide range of components for his original Model A (1903–04) comprising the entire chassis; Ford needed to add only the body and wheels to finish the cars. Henry offered the Dodge brothers a 10% share in his new company in return for $10,000 worth of goods ($387,000 in 2025 dollars). In 1902, the brothers won a contract to produce transmissions for Ransom E. Olds' company Oldsmobile, upon which they built a solid reputation for quality and service. They rejected a second contract from Oldsmobile in 1903 to retool their plant to manufacture engines for the Ford company, which would be in debt to the brothers.

The first machine shop where the brothers worked as parts suppliers for Oldsmobile and Ford was located at the Boydell Building on Beaubien Street at Lafayette. This location was replaced by a larger facility at Hastings Street and Monroe Avenue, which is now a parking garage for the Hollywood Casino (Hastings Street itself has since been renamed Chrysler Service Drive). In 1911, the Dodge Main factory was built in Hamtramck, where it remained until 1979.

The Dodge Brothers Motor Company was established in 1913. By 1914, John and Horace designed and introduced the first car of their own: the four-cylinder Dodge Model 30-35 touring car. Marketed as a slightly more upscale competitor to the ubiquitous Ford Model T, it pioneered or made standard many features later taken for granted, such as all-steel bodies. The vast majority of cars worldwide still used wood-framing under steel panels. Other innovations were 12-volt electrical systems (six-volt systems would remain the norm until the 1950s), 35 horsepower engines versus the Model T's 20 horsepower, and sliding-gear transmission (the best-selling Model T retained an antiquated planetary design until its demise in 1927). John Dodge was quoted as saying, "Someday, people who own a Ford are going to want an automobile." The company garnered a reputation for the highest quality truck, transmission, and motor parts supplied to other successful vehicles, and Dodge Brothers cars were ranked second in U.S. sales as early as 1916.

In 1916, Henry Ford stopped paying stock dividends to finance the construction of his new River Rouge complex. The Dodges filed a lawsuit to protect their annual dividends of approximately one million dollars, leading Ford to buy out his shareholders. The Dodges were paid some US$25 million.($739,678,899 in 2025 dollars) They had already earned $9,871,500 ($292,069,610 in 2025 dollars) in dividends making a total return of $34,871,500 ($1,031,748,509 in 2025 dollars) on their original $10,000 ($295,872 in 2025 dollars) investment. The Ford contract set them up for life, but they never got to spend it.

Dodge brothers death and sale to Chrysler

Dodge Brothers cars continued to rank second place in U.S. sales in 1920. However, John Dodge died of pneumonia in January 1920, a complication of Spanish flu, having lungs weakened by tuberculosis 20 years earlier. Horace died in December of the same year, perhaps weakened by the Spanish flu, but the cause of death was cirrhosis of the liver (reportedly still grieved over the loss of his brother, to whom he was very close). With the loss of both founders, the Dodge Brothers Company was left in the hands of their widows, Matilda Dodge Wilson and Anna Thompson Dodge, who promoted long-time employee Frederick Haynes to the presidency. During this time, the Model 30 evolved to become the Series 116 (retaining the same basic construction and engineering features). As the 1920s progressed, Dodge gradually lost its ranking from the third best-selling automaker to seventh place in the U.S. market.

Dodge Brothers expanded its truck line and became a leading builder of light trucks. After expanding production capacity, Haynes signed a contract in 1921 for Dodge's large dealer network to exclusively market trucks with bodies built by Graham Brothers of Evansville, Indiana. The Graham truck line from then on used only Dodge-built chassis, from one- to three-ton capacity, and Dodge kept making light-duty trucks.

Development was stagnating, and sales dropped Dodge Brothers to fifth place in the industry by 1925. That year, the company was sold by the widows to the investment group Dillon, Read & Co. for no less than US$146 million, then the largest cash transaction in history ($2,680,360,531 in 2025 dollars).

Dillon, Read & Co. offered non-voting stock on the market in the new Dodge Brothers firm and, along with the sale of bonds, was able to raise $160 million ($2,937,381,404 in 2025 dollars), reaping a $14 million (net) profit ($257,020,873 in 2025 dollars). All voting stock was retained by the investment group. Frederick Haynes remained as company head until E.G. Wilmer was named board chairman in November 1926. Wilmer was a banker with no auto experience, and Haynes remained as president. Changes to the car, save for superficial things like trim levels and colors, remained minimal until 1927, when the new Senior six-cylinder line was introduced. The four-cylinder line was renamed the Fast Four line until it was dropped in favor of two lighter six-cylinder models (the Standard Six and Victory Six) for 1928.

Pre-war years

To fit better the Chrysler lineup, alongside low-priced Plymouth and medium-priced DeSoto, Dodge's lineup for early 1930 was trimmed down to a core group of two lines and thirteen models (from three lines and nineteen models just over a year prior). Prices started just above those of DeSoto, but were somewhat less than top-of-the-line Chrysler, in a small-scale recreation of General Motors' "step-up" marketing concept. As Plymouth cars were sold at Chrysler dealerships, Dodge-branded vehicles were sold as a lower-cost alternative to DeSoto. DeSoto and Dodge would swap places in the market for the 1933 model year, with Dodge dropping down between Plymouth and DeSoto.

For 1930, Dodge took another step up by adding a new eight-cylinder line to replace the existing Senior six-cylinder. This basic format of a dual line with Six and Eight models continued until 1933, and the cars were gradually streamlined and lengthened in step with prevailing trends of the day. The Dodge Eight was replaced by a larger DeLuxe Six for 1934, which was dropped for 1935. A long-wheelbase edition of the remaining Six was added for 1936, and would remain a part of the lineup for many years. In 1932, to enhance production, 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 corporation's output, was restyled in the so-called "Wind Stream" look for 1935. This was a mild form of streamlining, which saw sales jump remarkably over the previous year (even though Dodge as a whole still dropped to fifth place for the year after two years of holding down fourth). Dodge did not share the radical Airflow styling that was the cause of depressed sales of Chryslers and DeSotos from 1934 until 1937, as a passenger sedan, but it was used on commercial trucks for a short time. Dodge (along with the rest of Chrysler) added safety features such as a smooth, flat dashboard with no protruding knobs, curved in-door handles, and padded front-seat backs for the benefit of the rear-seat occupants.

Another major restyle arrived for the 25th anniversary 1939 models, which Dodge dubbed the Luxury Liner series. These were once again completely redesigned, with new bodies for 1940, again in 1941, and a refreshing for 1942. However, just after the 1942 models were introduced, Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor forced the shutdown of Dodge's passenger car assembly lines in favor of war production in February 1942. 1941 saw the introduction of Fluid Drive for Dodge cars, which eliminated stalling or bucking if the clutch was released too quickly. This feature put a fluid coupling in between the engine and the clutch, although the driver still had to shift gears manually.

World War II

Chrysler was prolific in its production of war materiel, especially from 1942 until 1945. Dodge in particular was well known to both average citizens and thankful soldiers for their tough military-spec light trucks and WC54 ambulances. Dodge America – on paper under the Fargo Trucks name (in U.S. government contracts) – built over 400,000 trucks for the war, in its nearly new (1938) Warren truck plant at Mound Road near Detroit, Michigan. Starting with the quickly converted VC and VF series for 1940, Dodge built mostly light 4x4, but also light-medium 6x6 WC series trucks that evolved out of the VC series. Smaller numbers of other models were built for China and Russia under Lend-Lease. Additionally, Chrysler Canada was enlisted to crank out another 180,000 Dodge trucks for the British and the Commonwealth militaries, over three-quarters of which were three-ton trucks to be used in the CMP role.

Dodge readily built upon the reputation of the WC series for itself by carrying it over into civilian models after the war, beginning with the successful Power Wagon, introduced with minimal modification almost immediately after the war, in 1945, for the 1946 model year.

Post-war years

By late 1945, civilian production at Dodge was restarted in time for the 1946 model year. The "seller's market" of the early post-war years, brought on by the lack of any new cars throughout the war, meant that every automaker found it easy to sell vehicles regardless of any drawbacks they might have. Like almost every other automaker, Dodge sold lightly facelifted revisions of its 1942 design through the 1948 model year. As before, these were 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 reduced (but did not eliminate) the need to shift gears.

Styling was not initially Dodge's strong point during this period, but began to change by 1953 under the direction of corporate design chief Virgil Exner. However, the deluxe Coronet series, introduced for 1949, offered extra luxury as the top-of-the-line. The Coronet Diplomat, Dodge's first pillarless hardtop coupe, was new for 1950, at least a year before Ford, Plymouth, and other popular car makes offered it. At the same time, Dodge also introduced its first V8 engine, the Red Ram Hemi, a smaller version of the original design of the famed Chrysler Hemi. The new 1953 bodies were smaller and based on the Plymouth. For 1954, sales dropped, and the stubby styling did not go over well with the public. 1954 also saw the introduction of the fully automatic PowerFlite transmission.

In 1954, Chrysler borrowed $250 million ($2,997,211,896 in 2025 dollars) from Prudential to finance expansion, acquisition, and updating the outdated styling of their car lines that contributed to Chrysler's failure to benefit from the post-war boom just as General Motors and Ford had.

Exner led the development of the new corporate "Forward Look" styling of 1955, which began a new era for Dodge. With steadily upgraded styling and ever-stronger engines every year through 1960, Dodge found a ready market for its products as Americans discovered the joys of freeway travel. This situation improved when Dodge introduced a new line of Dodges called the Dart to do battle against Ford, Chevrolet, and Plymouth. The result was that Dodge sales in the middle price class collapsed. Special and regional models were sold as well, including the La Femme (a white and orchid-trimmed hardtop marketed towards women) and the Texan, a gold-accented Dodge sold in Texas. 1957 saw the introduction of a new automatic transmission, three-speed TorqueFlite. Both PowerFlite and TorqueFlite were controlled by mechanical push-buttons until 1965. 1956 saw the introduction of the four-door pillarless hardtop (the same year most other makes offered this body style) in all three Dodge series: Custom Royal, Royal, and Coronet. Dodge's pillarless models were all badged "Lancer".

1973–1980

The 1973 oil crisis caused significant changes at Dodge, as well as Chrysler as a whole. Except for the Colt and Slant Six models of the Dart, Dodge's lineup was viewed as uneconomical. Although this problem affected American automakers, Chrysler did not have the resources to respond to the changes in the marketplace. While General Motors and Ford began downsizing their largest cars, Chrysler (and Dodge) was slow to make change.

Chrysler was able to use some of its other resources. Borrowing the recently introduced Horizon from Chrysler's European division, Dodge was able to get its new Omni subcompact on the market fairly quickly. At the same time, they increased the number of models imported from Mitsubishi starting in 1971. First was a smaller Colt (based on Mitsubishi's Galant line), then a revival of the Challenger (Dodge Challenger) in 1976 as a compact two-door hardtop with a four-cylinder engine.

The 1975 model year saw the Dodge Charger and Chrysler Cordoba (the latter of which had replaced the Plymouth Satellite Sebring) share the same new body based on the B platform. The Charger SE (Special Edition) was the only model offered, and came with a wide variety engines from the 318 cu in (5.2 L) "LA" series small block V8 to three versions of 400 cu in (6.6 L) big block V8. The standard engine was the 360 cu in (5.9 L) 2-bbl small block, along with the code E58 4-bbl and dual exhaust high-performance version (225 hp) available as an option. Sales in 1975 amounted to 30,812.

1976 was the Dart's final year in the North American market. The rear-view mirror was mounted on the windshield rather than from the roof. Front disc brakes became standard equipment on January 1, 1976 in accord with more stringent U.S. federal brake performance requirements, and a new foot-operated parking brake replaced the under-dash T-handle used since the Dart's 1963 introduction as a compact car. The grille's parking lamps were cast in amber, whereas the previous years had clear lenses with amber-colored bulbs. The Dart Sport 360 was dropped as a separate model in 1976, but the 360 cu in (5.9 L) four-barrel, dual exhaust (without catalytic converters) V8 was a $376 option (except in California) for the $3,370 Dart Sport V8 models with automatic transmission. In its April 1976 issue, Car and Driver magazine tested the Dart Sport 360, pitting it against the Chevrolet Corvette and Pontiac Trans Am, and found its top speed of 121.6 mph (195.7 km/h) to be second to the Corvette's 124.5 mph (200.4 km/h).

1981–1990

The first fruit of Chrysler's crash development program was the "K-Car", the Dodge version of which was the Dodge Aries. This basic, durable front-wheel drive platform spawned a whole range of new models at Dodge during the 1980s, including the groundbreaking Dodge Caravan. Lee Iacocca and Hal Sperlich developed their idea for this type of vehicle during their tenure at Ford. Henry Ford II rejected the idea (and a prototype) of a minivan in 1974. Iacocca followed Sperlich to Chrysler, where they created what was internally designated the T-115 minivan, a prototype that was to become the Caravan and Voyager, known in initial marketing as the Magic-wagons. Chrysler introduced the Dodge Caravan and the Plymouth Voyager in November 1983 for the 1984 model year, using the Chrysler S platform, an extended derivative of the Chrysler K platform. The Caravan not only helped save Chrysler as a serious, high-volume American automaker, but also helped establish the minivan as an entirely new market segment that supplanted the role of the station wagon.

By 1981, Chrysler was switching to smaller front-wheel drive designs. However, its older, larger rear-wheel drive Dodge Diplomat (as well as the Chrysler LeBaron and Fifth Avenue) continued to sell. Diplomats built from mid-1988 until the end of production were among the first Chrysler-built products to have a driver's side airbag as standard equipment, some two model years before the remainder of Chrysler's lineup (they were also among the only cars at the time to offer a tilt steering column with an airbag). As the 1980s progressed, fewer private customers purchased the Diplomat, and the M-body was eventually dropped during the 1989 model year. Although sales were strong, Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca held a low opinion of the M-body line as a relic of the pre-K car era and declined to invest any money in them.

Dodge would not market another truly full-size car (at least based upon EPA passenger volume statistics) until the Monaco debuted as a 1990 model.

The Dodge Daytona, a sports car introduced for the 1984 model year, originally used the 2.2 L Chrysler K engine in normally aspirated (93 hp) or turbocharged (142 hp) form. The 100 hp 2.5 L K engine was added for 1986. In 1985, the 2.2 L Turbo I engine's horsepower was increased to 146 hp (109 kW). The 1984 Daytona was available in three trim lines: standard, Turbo, and Turbo Z. Total production was 49,347. The Daytona Turbo was on Car and Driver magazine's 10Best list for 1984. Both the Daytona and Chrysler Laser were available with the Chrysler electronic voice alert system through 1987. A performance-oriented "Shelby" version of the Daytona was introduced in 1987. For 1987, the Daytona was restyled externally and featured pop-up headlights. New in 1987 was a Shelby Z trim level with an available Chrysler-developed Turbo II (174 hp (130 kW) – 200 lb⋅ft (271 N⋅m)) intercooled version of the 2.2 L Chrysler K engine, as well as a heavy-duty A555 transaxle with Getrag gears. The Shelby Z also featured numerous suspension upgrades, including a larger diameter front sway bar and disc brakes on all four wheels. This version was sold in Europe under the name Chrysler GS Turbo II. A more luxury-oriented Pacifica trim line was also added to replace the Chrysler Laser, which was dropped in the middle of the 1986 model year. Among the optional equipment included a leather interior, an eight-way power enthusiast driver's seat (with mechanical thigh and lumbar controls), a digital instrument cluster, and a 12-button trip computer (with instant fuel ratings as well as trip averages and estimated travel times).

1990s

The Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon ended production in 1990, and were replaced by the Dodge Shadow/Plymouth Sundance, which were both introduced for 1987. Both the Monaco and Premier were discontinued during the 1992 model year. However, its state-of-the-art manufacturing plant and the key executive from American Motors behind the Premier/Monaco design, François Castaing, would lead to the successful and highly rated "cab-forward" LH Dodge Intrepid, Chrysler Concorde, and Eagle Vision versions in late 1992, when production resumed at Brampton Assembly.

Dodge-branded Mitsubishi vehicles were phased out by 1993, except for the Dodge Stealth, which ran through 1996. However, Mitsubishi-made engines and electrical components were still widely used in domestic American Chrysler products.

In 1992, Dodge moved their performance orientation forward substantially with the Viper, which featured an aluminum V10 engine and composite sports roadster body. This was the first step in what was marketed as "The New Dodge", an aggressive advertising campaign with a litany of new models, with television ads narrated by Edward Herrmann that pointed out the innovations in the vehicles and challenged their competitors. Herrmann would go on to serve as the brand's spokesperson for the rest of the 1990s.

Later that year marked the introduction of the Intrepid sedan, substantially different from its boxy predecessor, the Dynasty. The Intrepid used what Chrysler called "cab forward" styling, with the wheels pushed out to the corners of the chassis for maximum passenger space. The Intrepid was available in two trim levels: base and the sportier, better-equipped ES, which added four-wheel disc brakes, 16-inch wheels with better tires, and stiffer "touring" suspension damping. All Intrepids received driver and front passenger airbags, a rarity at the time, as well as air conditioning and the four-speed automatic transmission. Anti-lock brakes were optional, as was traction control, and the more powerful 3.5 L SOHC engine rated at (214 hp).

In 1994, the second-generation Dodge Ram pickup was introduced, with bold styling that departed radically from the boxy designs of trucks made by the Big Three for two decades prior. The second-generation Ram began development in 1986. The original concept, dubbed the "Louisville Slugger" by Chrysler's Advanced Packaging Studio, was to be a modular platform that would accommodate a full-size truck and full-size van, which would have provided a roomy cab and cargo bed. The design featured a big-rig-looking front end and a large grille that was deemed risky at its introduction, but ultimately proved popular with consumers. The redesigned 1994 Ram was a sales success, and was named "Truck of the Year" by Motor Trend magazine in 1994. Sales increased from 95,542 units in 1993 to 232,092 in 1994, 410,000 in 1995, and 411,000 by 1996. The Ram was prominently featured in the 1996 film Twister. Sales of this generation peaked at just over 400,000 in 1999 before declining against the redesigned Ford and General Motors trucks.

The modern era: 1998–present

In a move that never lived up to the expectations of its driving forces, Chrysler Corporation merged with Daimler-Benz AG in 1998 to form DaimlerChrysler. Dodge's longtime sister brand Plymouth was withdrawn from the market, with Chrysler reasoning that the company's broader lineup was a greater priority. With this move, Dodge became DaimlerChrysler's low-price division, as well as its performance division.

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

In 2000, the Stratus became the last of the surviving "Cloud Cars", with the Cirrus being renamed the Sebring and the Breeze being discontinued (along with the Plymouth brand).

This generation of the Dodge Stratus was not sold in Canada, although 1999 was the last year for Stratus sales in Canada. 2002 models dropped the Dodge badges from the doors. During this time, sales declined as the Stratus's ratings from consumer and auto magazines fell below average among mid-size cars, while the sedan market had shifted and pushed the larger Intrepid and later Charger to record sales. 2004 brought styling revisions, which did not reverse this trend. The Stratus was discontinued in May 2006 (the Sebring name was continued).

The Dodge Avenger name returned in February 2007 as a 2008 model year sedan to replace the Dodge Stratus, whose coupe version had replaced the original Avenger in 2001. According to some reports, the Avenger, along with the redesigned Chrysler Sebring, shares a DaimlerChrysler/Mitsubishi platform called JS, which used the Mitsubishi GS as a starting point. The base engine in the SE and SXT trim levels was the 2.4 L GEMA I4 naturally aspirated "World Engine", a joint venture between DaimlerChrysler, Mitsubishi, and Hyundai. Additional engines included an optional 2.7 L V6 in the SXT and a standard 3.5 L V6 in the R/T trim level. In addition to the 2.4 L "World Engine" and the V6s, export vehicles were offered with the 2.0 L naturally aspirated "World Engine", as well as a 2.0 L turbocharged diesel (Pumpe-Düse) made by Volkswagen. As a 2008 model, the Dodge Avenger came to showrooms in February 2007.

List of CEOs

Current Matt McAlear (since June 1st 2024)

Previous CEOs

Michael Accavitti (2009–2011)

Reid Bigland (2011–2014)

Tim Kuniskis (2014–2024)

Dodge Automobiles

Over the decades, Dodge has become well known for its passenger car output, along with its many truck models. However, after almost a century of manufacturing these vehicles, a decision was made to spin off Dodge's trucks into a separate Ram brand, based on the popularity of their top-selling truck, the Dodge Ram. Although the Ram trucks are marketed separately from Dodge cars, Ram president Fred Diaz has said:

Ram trucks will always and forever be Dodges. Ram will always have the Dodge emblem inside and outside and they will be 'vinned' (from the acronym VIN, or Vehicle Identification Number) as a Dodge. We need to continue to market as Ram so Dodge can have a different brand identity: hip, cool, young, energetic. That will not fit the campaign for truck buyers. The two should have distinct themes.

Pickups and medium to heavy trucks

Since Dodge began building their cars in 1914, the company also offered light truck models. Initially, these were largely based on the existing passenger cars, but eventually gained their own chassis and body designs as the market matured. During the 1930s and 1940s, light- and medium-duty models were offered, followed by a heavy-duty range. The very large, new Warren Truck Assembly plant was built in Michigan, just north of Detroit, and opened in 1938, producing Dodge trucks ever since.

In 1936, Dodge's light, car-based trucks were crucially redesigned—not only receiving a new "Fore-Point" (similar to cab forward) design of the front side and cab—but especially, the old car frames were dropped and for the first time replaced by modern, truck-style chassis, with side rails welded to the cross members. These welded frames were henceforth introduced on half- to one-ton rated trucks, expanding Dodge into a heavier truck market segment than before.

In 1939, Dodge presented a completely redesigned line of pickups and trucks, with streamlined, "art-deco" front sheet metal styling. Introducing the concept of "Job-Rated", Dodge tried to offer customers the truck that fit every job they were buying it for. From the 1939 "Job-Rated" trucks onwards, Dodge's light and medium trucks were built in its "Mound Road" plant in Warren, Michigan.

Following World War II and the successful application of four-wheel drive to the truck line, Dodge introduced a civilian version that it called the Power Wagon. Initially based almost exactly on the military-type design, variants of the standard truck line were eventually given 4WD and the same "Power Wagon" name.

Dodge was among the first to introduce car-like features to its trucks, adding the plush Adventurer package during the 1960s and offering sedan-like space in its Club Cab bodies of the 1970s. Declining sales and increased competition during the 1970s eventually forced the company to drop its medium- and heavy-duty models, an arena the company has only recently begun to reenter.

Dodge introduced what they called the "Adult Toys" line to boost its truck sales in the late 1970s, starting with the limited edition Lil' Red Express pickup (featuring a 360 c.i. police interceptor engine and visible big rig-style exhaust stacks). Later came the more widely available Warlock. Other "Adult Toys" from Dodge included the "Macho Power Wagon" and "Street Van".

Vans

Dodge built panel delivery models for many years since its founding, but their first purpose-built van model arrived for the 1964 model year with the compact A Series. Based on the Dodge Dart platform and using its proven six-cylinder or V8 engines, the A-series was a strong competitor for both its domestic rivals (from Ford, Chevrolet, and GMC) and the diminutive Volkswagen Transporter line.

As the market evolved, Dodge realized that a bigger, stronger van line would be needed in the future. The B Series was introduced for 1971, offering both car-like comfort in its Sportsman passenger line or expansive room for gear and materials in its Tradesman cargo line. A chassis cab version was also offered for use with bigger cargo boxes or flatbeds. Like the trucks, Chrysler's dire financial straits of the late 1970s precluded any major updates for the vans for many years. Rebadged as the Ram Van and Ram Wagon for 1981, this design carried on for 33 years, with little more than cosmetic and safety updates until 2003.

The 1998 DaimlerChrysler merger made it possible for Dodge to explore new ideas, and the European-styled Mercedes-Benz Sprinter line of vans was brought over and given a Dodge styling treatment. Redesigned for 2006 as a 2007 model, the economical diesel-powered Sprinters became very popular for city usage among delivery companies like FedEx and UPS. Because of their fuel efficiency, major motorhome manufacturer Thor Motor Coach produced several Class C and Class A Motorhomes available on the Sprinter Chassis, including their Four Winds Siesta and Chateau Citation product lines.

Dodge also offered a cargo version of its best-selling Caravan for many years, initially calling it the Mini Ram Van, a name originally applied to the short-wheelbase B Series Ram Vans. It was later known as the Caravan C/V, with "C/V" standing for "Cargo Van". For the 2012 model year, the Caravan C/V was rebranded as a Ram and was renamed the Ram C/V.

The Grand Caravan became Dodge's last minivan, as it was discontinued after the 2020 model year to introduce the Chrysler Voyager for the 2021 model year.

Sport utility vehicles

Dodge's first experiments with anything like a sport utility vehicle appeared in the late 1950s, with a windowed version of their standard panel truck, known as the Town Wagon. These were built in the same style through the mid-1960s. The division never entered the SUV arena in earnest until 1974, with the purpose-built Ramcharger. Offering the then-popular open body style and Dodge's powerful V8 engines, the Ramcharger was a strong competitor to trucks like the Ford Bronco, Chevrolet Blazer, and International Scout II.

During the 1980s, Dodge was left with outdated products as the market evolved. The Ramcharger hung on through 1993 with only minor updates. When the Ram truck was redesigned for the 1994 model year, the Ramcharger was discontinued in the U.S. and Canadian markets. A version using the updated styling was made for the Mexican market, but was never imported to the U.S. or Canada.

Using the mid-sized Dakota pickup's chassis as a base, Dodge introduced the 1997 four-door Durango SUV, which seated eight people and was sized between smaller SUVs like the Chevrolet Blazer and Ford Explorer and larger models like the Chevrolet Tahoe and Ford Expedition. The redesigned version for 2004 grew a little in every dimension, becoming a full-size SUV, but was still sized between most of its competitors. For 2011, a new unibody Durango, based on the Jeep Grand Cherokee, was released. The 2011 Durango shrank slightly to a size comparable to the original model. With the Journey being discontinued in 2020, the Durango became the only SUV offering in the Dodge lineup.

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

High-performance vehicles

From the early 2000s onwards, Dodge's highest-performing vehicles were marketed under Street & Racing Technology (SRT) branding. These models often came equipped with high-performance V8s, and included the Dodge Challenger SRT (2008–present), Dodge Charger SRT (2006–present), Dodge Magnum SRT (2006–2008), and Dodge Durango SRT (2018-present). They also produced the Dodge Neon SRT-4 (2003–2005), Dodge Caliber SRT4 (2008–2009), Dodge Viper (1991–2010, 2012–2017), and Dodge Ram SRT-10 (2004–2006). In 2015, FCA introduced the Hellcat, a 707 HP, supercharged 6.2 L Hemi V8. In 2017, Dodge released the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon, powered by an 840 HP supercharged 6.2 L Hemi V8. It comes with a toolbox known as the "Demon Toolbox" that comes with materials for drag racing, including skinny front drag tires. However, buyers would only get 840 HP on race fuel. On regular pump gas, it produces 808 HP, a 101 HP increase over the Hellcat.

International markets

Argentina

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

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

In 1993, Dodge began marketing cars and pick-ups directly in Argentina. Currently, both the Journey and the 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 assembled the Caravan for the Chinese market. Dodge marketed its vehicles in South Korea in 2004, starting with the Dakota. Dodge vehicles are no longer marketed in China, Japan, and South Korea. In the Philippines, Dodge vehicles have been distributed by Auto Nation Group (formerly known as CATS Motors) since the 2000s. Dodge vehicles are also distributed in some Middle Eastern countries.

Australia

Vehicles were produced in Australia under the Dodge name by Chrysler Australia from the 1950s until the 1970s.

Dodge re-entered the Australian market in 2006 with the Caliber, their first offering since the AT4/D5N trucks in 1979 and the first Dodge passenger car to be marketed in Australia since the Phoenix sedan was discontinued in 1973. The second model to be introduced was the Nitro, followed by the Avenger and Journey. Dodge chose not to use the full model lines and engines available to them, the 2.7 L V6 being available in the Journey and Avenger instead of the 3.2 L in the North American versions. However, diesel engines were introduced in all their cars.

After the 2008 financial crisis, Chrysler introduced a facelifted model of the Caliber and discontinued the Avenger imports. From early 2012 onward, model year 2010 cars were available. By early 2012, no new cars were imported into Australia aside from the facelifted 2012 Journey.

There were rumors that Dodge cars would be rebadged as Fiats in the Australian market, as was the case in Europe. The Dodge nameplate continued due to consistent sales of the Journey. However, the brand was discontinued in the Australian market after 2016.

The Dodge Kingsway was also assembled in India by Premier Automobiles Limited until the late 1950s.

Brazil

In Brazil, Dodge cars were produced between 1969 and 1981 with the models Dart, Charger, Magnum, LeBaron (all powered by the same 318 cid V8 engine), and the compact 1800/Polara, based on the British Hillman Avenger. The manufacturer was acquired by Volkswagen in 1981. In 1998, the Dakota pickup started production in a new plant in Campo Largo, Paraná by Mercedes-Benz, which belonged to its former partner Daimler AG. It was built there until 2001, with petrol and diesel engines and regular, extended, and crew cabs. In 2010, Dodge started sales of the imported pickup Ram 2500. The model portfolio would be expanded starting with the Journey crossover for the 2009 model year. The marque ended the sales of its last product, the Journey, in 2019, remaining only to serve the existing customers.

Canada

In Canada, the Dodge lineup of cars started down the road to elimination along with the Plymouth line when the Dodge Dynasty was introduced in Canada as the Chrysler Dynasty in 1988 and sold at both Plymouth and Dodge dealers. Similarly, the Dodge Intrepid, the Dynasty's replacement, was sold as the Chrysler Intrepid.

For 2000, the Neon became the Chrysler Neon. The Chrysler Cirrus and Mitsubishi-built Dodge Avenger were dropped. Dodge trucks, which had been sold at Canadian Plymouth dealers since 1973, continued without change. All Plymouth-Chrysler and Dodge-Chrysler dealers became Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep dealers.

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

Europe

Dodge started assembling lorries (trucks) in the United Kingdom from imported parts in 1922. In 1933, it began to manufacture a British chassis at its works in Kew, using American engines and gearboxes.

During the World War II, Dodge Kew was part of the London Aircraft Production Group, building fuselage sections for Handley Page Halifax bombers. The pre-war and wartime truck range was replaced by the Dodge 100 "Kew" truck (1949–1957), nicknamed the "parrot nose" due to the sculpted lines of its bonnet. Subsequent normal-control Dodges built at Kew were the 200 series (1957–1963) and the 400 series (1963–1965). The 400 series was a version of the American D series medium-duty models. Also built at Kew were the cab-over 300 series (1957–1965) and its successor, the 500 series/K-series (1964–1978) tilt-cab. In 1964, Chrysler acquired its first stake in the British Rootes Group, and it was decided to consolidate all truck production at Rootes' factory in Dunstable. British assembly of the 400 series was discontinued due to declining sales of normal-control trucks, and production of the 500 series was transferred to Dunstable in 1967.

In some export markets, British-built Dodge trucks used the Fargo or DeSoto marques. The situation was further complicated after the takeover of the Rootes Group, whose commercial vehicles were sold under the Commer and Karrier marques. Some Dodge 500s were given Commer badges, whilst the 100 series "Commando" light truck (1970–1989), developed by Rootes, was initially marketed under all five marques. In the UK market, Commers were usually lighter than Dodges, whereas the Karrier marque tended to be used on vehicles sold to public sector operators such as local authorities. Some of the smaller Commer/Karrier vans were also sold as Fargos in export markets. In 1976, Chrysler Europe rationalized its marques and thereafter all the British-built commercial vehicles were sold as Dodges or (increasingly rarely) Karriers. This included the smaller Commer SpaceVan (1960–1983) and Commer Walk-Thru (1961–1979), which became Dodges for their final years. The van and pick-up versions of Chrysler Europe's French-built Simca 1100 were also branded as Dodges in Britain from 1976, although they remained Simcas elsewhere (and became Talbots in Britain after 1979).

Until the 1970s, American Chrysler cars, including some Dodge models, were assembled from CKD kits at various locations in Europe, including Kew (1920s-1930s), Antwerp (1926–1958), and Rotterdam (1958–1970). Sales volumes were low, as even "compact" American cars like the Dodge Dart were enormous gas-guzzlers by European standards. However, protectionist policies in some countries encouraged small local manufacturers to license-build CKD models, including AMAG in Switzerland (building Chryslers and Dodges 1948–1972) and Barreiros in Spain (building Dodge Darts from 1965 as the Barreiros Dart). By 1969, Chrysler had acquired full control of Barreiros, and Darts were being exported to other European countries under the Dodge name (precipitating the closure of the Rotterdam plant). In 1970, the Spanish-built Dart was replaced by the Barreiros/Dodge 3700, which remained in production until 1977. The Dodge cars were a relatively small part of the Madrid factory's output, which was dominated by smaller Simca-designed cars and Barreiros-designed heavy-duty trucks. From 1972 onward, such trucks were sold as the Dodge 300 (unrelated to the earlier British 300 series), which was available as 4×2, 6×4, 8×2, and 8×4 rigids, as well as 4×2 semi-trailer tractors.

Mexico

In Mexico, the Hyundai Accent, Hyundai Atos, and Hyundai H100 were branded as "Dodge", Dodge Attitude, "Verna by Dodge", "Atos by Dodge" and "Dodge H100", respectively, and sold at Chrysler/Dodge dealers during the 2000s and early 2010s. Dodge and Hyundai ended the venture, and Dodge began to sell rebadged and reworked Fiats and Mitsubishis.

Logo evolution

Star: The original Dodge was a circle, with two Greek deltas intertwined representing the letter "D", forming a six-pointed star in the middle; an interlocked "DB" was at the center of the star, and the words "Dodge Brothers Motor Vehicles" encircled the outside edge. Although similar to the Star of David, the Dodge brothers were not Jewish; they were Methodists. Although the "Brothers" was dropped from the name for trucks in 1929 and cars in 1930, the DB star remained in the cars until the 1939 models were introduced.

Ram: For 1932, Dodge cars adopted a leaping ram as the car's hood ornament. Starting with the 1940 models, the leaping ram became more streamlined, with only the head, complete with curving horns, remaining by 1951. The 1954 models were the last to use the ram's head before its reintroduction in the 1980s. Dodge trucks adopted the ram as the hood ornament for the 1940 model year with the 1950 models as the last.

Crest: For 1941, Dodge introduced a crest, supposedly the Dodge family crest. The design had four horizontal bars broken in the middle by one vertical bar with an "O" in the center. A knight's head appeared at the top of the emblem. Although the head would be dropped for 1955, the emblem would survive through 1957 and reappear on the 1976 Aspen. The crest would be used through 1981 on its second time around, being replaced by the Pentastar for 1982. The knight's head without the crest would be used for 1959.

Forward Look: Virgil Exner's radical Forward Look redesign of Chrysler's vehicles for the 1955 model year was emphasized by the adoption of a logo by the same name, applied to all Chrysler Corporation vehicles. The Forward Look logo consisted of two overlapped boomerang shapes, suggesting space age rocket-propelled motion. This logo was incorporated into Dodge advertising, decorative trim, ignition and door key heads, as well as on accessories through September 1962.

Fratzog: Dodge's logo from September 1962 through 1981 was a fractured deltoid composed of three arrowhead shapes forming a three-pointed star. The logo first appeared on the 1962 Polara 500 and the mid-year 1962 Custom 880. One of its designers came up with the meaningless name Fratzog for the logo, which ultimately stuck. In 2021, Dodge announced that it would revive the Fratzog logo as a secondary emblem used exclusively to denote electric vehicles.

Slogans

Dependability, The Dependables (1920s–1967)

Join the Dodge Rebellion (1966–1967) Dodge Performance Cars

Dodge Fever (1968–1969)

You Could Be Dodge Material (1970–1971)

An American Revolution (1982–1989) (slogan recycled by Chevrolet in 2005)

The New Spirit of Dodge (1989)

The Tough New Spirit of Dodge Truck (1989)

The New Dodge (1992–1999)

Dodge Different (1999–2001)

Grab Life by the Horns (2001–2007, mainly for the Dodge truck market)

Grab Life (2007 – mid-June 2010, in Ram pickup truck ads)

Never Neutral (2010–present)

Born Dodge (2014–present)

Domestic. Not Domesticated. (2016–present)

Excess drives success (2021–present)

Tear up the streets... not the planet (2021–present)

List of Dodge automobiles