A bicycle was the first vehicle built by brothers Horace and John Dodge. In 1901, they founded their first factory in Detroit and, two years later in 1903, they were already supplying parts to Ford but this time as engine manufacturers.
It was from that moment when they began to reap the first successes, with these emerged the differences and problems.
The alliance with Ford and the different points of view
After its alliance with Henry Ford, who acquired 25% of the shares, the Dodges were inclined towards the construction of a luxury model and high price, while Ford was looking for exactly the opposite, ie a very simple and popular car, and above all cheap. Ford’s main idea was that, if it produced cars in series, production costs would be significantly reduced, which would also contribute to lower street prices, a circumstance that would increase demand, the market and profits.
The differences ended up being so serious that Ford opted to buy 58 % of the shares of the Dodge brothers, leaving the Dodge in minority and finally launched, in early 1908, the first series of its brand new Ford-T at a single price and revolutionary in the market, $500, quite low compared to the $2,000 that cost an average car at that time.
The first Dodge.
Parallel to their unfortunate alliance with Henry Ford in the Ford Motor Company, the Dodges are on their way. The first car built by the Dodge brothers arrived in 1914 and its name was “Old Betsy” immediately after its launch became a success; the popularity of the brand’s vehicles continued to grow and by mid-1925, one million of these cars were already on the roads.
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