Marque: Dodge - Company History & Models - Cars By Brand
Dodge
The Dodge Brothers John and Horace started in the automotive industry in 1900 by establishing a machine shop in Detroit, producing parts for other motor manufacturers in ‘motor city’, initially for Oldsmobile and from 1903 for Ford when they began supplying chassis, engines and transmissions.
They became a car builder in their own right in July 1914 as the Dodge Brothers…
Dodge Custom Royal Lancer
PRICE: £10,000 - £15,000
Styled by Virgil Exner, Dodge’s top of the range Custom Royal Lancer represented late ‘50s glitzy fins ‘n’ chrome ostentation. They were also pretty quick too, with engine options ranging from a 325ci V8, a 361ci also available with fuel injection rated at 333bhp that proved rather unreliable, and the 383ci at 320/345bhp. The transmission was a push button three-speed TorqueFlite. This 17.5ft long leviathan comprised of torsion bar suspension at the front and leaf springs to the rear end. At the front, quad headlamps were covered by huge chrome eyebrows, while the grille itself was of a most intricate design. It was an age when dashboard styling was a triumph in its own right and just as creative as the glitzy exterior. It was a profusion of polished metal Bling with a huge binnacle housing a speedometer at the top, with other gauges and switchgear below.
Dodge Challenger
This model is much in keeping with the muscle appeal of the Charger, but is slightly more compact, though still packs just as powerful punch
with all the engine options as the Charger. With exterior styling courtesy of Carl Cameron who also penned the ‘coke bottle’ profile of the Charger, the Challenger was produced between 1970-1974. It arrived too late to have any great effect to challenge muscle-car war competition with Ford’s Mustang or Chevrolet’s Camaro. A rag top was offered for two years only for 1970- 1971. The cars with 440ci Six-Pack engines remain in high demand, but in truth the less powerful 318ci/340ci cars are more user friendly to drive. One of the most noteworthy aspects of Dodges from this era were the vivid colours available, such as Plum Crazy (Purple) Top Banana (Yellow) Go-Mango (Orange) and Panther Pink. Both the Charger and Challenger have featured prominently in the movies, notably in Bullitt, Vanishing Point and the Dukes of Hazzard.
