Vintage Vehicle Club

of Australia (1919-1930) Inc.

Dodge Vehicles, were built from 1914 to 20??.

The Dodge Brothers Story (Summary)

• 1899 - Dodge brothers work for Canadian Typothetac Company in Ontario. Organize the Evans & Dodge Bicycle Co.

• 1900 - Evans & Dodge Bicycle Co. taken over by National Cycle & Automobile Company, Hamilton, ON, which also takes over E.C.Stearns Company, Toronto, ON. The Dodge brothers, and Frederick J. Haynes of the E.C.Stearns Company, work for National Cycle.

• 1901 - Dodge brothers move to Detroit, MI and open a shop on Beaubien Street making bicycles and parts for the 
  auto industry.

• 1902 - Dodge brothers get contract to build 3,000 transmissions for Olds Motor Works.

• 1903 - Dodge brothers equip their plant to build engines for Ford in return for 10% interest in Ford Motor 
  Company. Cancel contract with Olds Motor Works.

• 1910 - Dodge brothers build a new plant in Hamtramck, MI

• 1912 - Frederick J. Haynes leaves H.H.Franklin Company for Dodge Brothers.

• 1914 - Dodge Brothers begin
  July 17 - Dodge Brothers Inc. formed. Begin working on bringing out the Dodge Brothers car.
  November 14 - First Dodge Brothers car rolls off the line. When asked why the Dodge Brothers wanted to build their own car, John Dodge replied, "Just think of all the Ford owners who will someday want an automobile." Dodge Brothers end contract with Ford Motor Company as Ford begins building it own engines.

• 1916 - Dodge Brothers adopts Budd-built all-steel body for touring cars.

• 1917 - First Dodge Brothers commercial car built in October.

• 1919 - Henry Ford purchases stock of minority stockholders of Ford Motor Company, including the holdings of John and Horace Dodge who collect $19,000,000.

• 1920 - January 14 - John Francis Dodge dies, December 10 - Horace Elgin Dodge dies.  Frederick J. Haynes becomes president of Dodge Brothers Inc.

• 1921 - Dodge Brothers and Graham Brothers sign an agreement whereby Graham Brothers will use Dodge Brothers engines and sell their trucks through Dodge Brothers dealers. Production of Graham Brothers Trucks begins at Hamtamck, MI.

• 1923 - Dodge Brothers introduces all-steel sedan body.
  Dodge Brothers Inc. purchased by banking firm, Dillon, Read & Co. for $146,000,000 from the widows of the Dodge brothers.

• 1924 - 1 millionth Dodge Brothers car.

• 1925 - October 1 - Dodge Brothers Inc. purchases 51% of Graham Brothers, Inc., with plants in Evansville, IN and Stockton, CA. Ray A. Graham becomes general manager, Joseph C. Graham becomes vice-president of manufacturing and Robert C. Graham becomes sales manager of Dodge Brothers Inc.
  Edward J. Wilmer appointed president of Dodge Brothers Inc.. as Frederick J. Haynes becomes chairman of the board.

• 1926 - May 1 - Dodge Brothers Inc. purchases remaining 49% of Graham Brothers Inc.

• 1927 - Graham brothers leave Dodge Brothers and purchase Paige Motor Co., which becomes the Graham-Paige Motor Corporation.

• 1928 - July 31 - Chrysler purchases Dodge Brothers Inc., manufacturers of Dodge Brothers cars and trucks, and Graham Brothers trucks. Main plants and forge facilities in Hamtramck, MI, with assembly plants in Stockton, CA, Evansville, IN and a CKD plant in Toronto, ON., plus land on Lynch Road, the future site of the Plymouth plant. Walter P. Chrysler is president of Dodge Brothers Corporation and K.T.Keller is general manager.  September - The Fargo Motor Corporation was formed with production beginning that month at Highland Park. Walter P. Chrysler is the first president of the Fargo Motor Corporation.  Chrysler Export Corporation organized.
  Frederick J. Haynes and Edward J. Wilmer leave Dodge Brothers upon purchase of company by Chrysler Corporation.
  2 millionth Dodge Brothers car.

• 1929 - Chrysler Motor Parts Corporation (later Mopar) formed.
  Byron C. Foy becomes vice-president, Chrysler Corporation 
  David A. Wallace becomes master mechanic for the Chrysler Corporation. 
  Walter P. Chrysler begins construction of the Chrysler Building in New York City.

• 1930 - Graham Brothers Truck and Dodge Brothers Truck become Dodge Truck and the Dodge Brothers car becomes Dodge. Both, however, continue to use the Dodge Brothers Star of David emblem to the end of the 1938 model year. 
  January - DeSoto model CF, with a straight-eight engine, introduced. 
  Dodge introduced an eight cylinder model. 
  November - Fargo Truck production ends, for the first time. Division carries on for export and fleet car sales. 
  F.L.Rockelman named president of Plymouth Motor Corporation. 
  K.T.Keller names president of Dodge Brothers Motor Corporation.

See Dodge Brothers Club web site for further reading.

http://www.dodgebrothersclub.org/dbcwebsite/index

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