Horace and John Dodge founded the Dodge Brothers Company in 1900 as an engine and chassis shop for the big Detroit automakers. Many of Ford’s own vehicles were built using Dodge parts during that time. By 1914, the brothers decided to take business into their own hands and released Dodge Model 30 as an upgrade to Ford’s Model T. Within the next decade, though, the two brothers would die from illness and leave the company to their widows. In 1928, after watching market share slide, Chrysler purchased Dodge, more interested in their name and the factory than anything else.
Dodge would become most well known for its trucks and durability in its smaller vehicles. Models like the Charger, Challenger, and the Viper still inspire us today, enough to merit reissues of the two muscle classics. We have yet to see how Chrysler will manage its recent acquisition and how that will affect the Dodge label. We’re still counting on plenty of buzz when they unveil the Challenger in February 2008.
Sites worth visiting
Dodge
The official Dodge homepage offers an exciting look at their up and coming vehicles. This is a good spot for owners to get support information and they’ve got the standard in model building and pricing tools. Make sure you get a look at that new Challenger. It’s the best-looking Dodge we’ve seen in a long time.
Dodge on Wikipedia
The Dodge page at Wikipedia has one of the most comprehensive treatments of the brand we could find. They cover the development of the brand and follow a chronological discussion of new models with a special section devoted to Dodge trucks. There’s also a short section devoted to Dodge as an international seller.
Dodge Motorsports
This page functions as more of a trackside news source than a full-blown fan site. You can get the latest news on your favorite drivers from the Nextel cup, the Craftsman Truck series and even the Monster Truck circuit. We would love to see them add some specs for those suped up Chargers they’re driving on the track.
Around the Blogosphere
Dodge at Autoblog
You know what they say: Never send a boy to do a man’s job. Our boys at Autoblog are as manly as they come when you’re talking auto news. These guys never miss a beat, and you can bet they’ll be there with spy shots and specs of the new Challenger before anyone else.
Red Letter Dodge
Pulling a page from holiday calendars of old, this official Dodge blog is all about generating excitement for the ‘New Dodge,’ and they deliver. They post frequently and include nifty little spots like a video interview with the Challenger designers. This place is definitely worth a read.
Community Sites
Dodge Forum
Hyperactive forum base – check. One of the largest technical threads we’ve seen on the web – check. Easy to navigate without a boatload of adds – check. This has got to be the preeminent Dodge fansite on the web. Get over there and introduce yourself. You’ve got a lot of reading to do.
Dodge Talk
This community site has some of the coolest community features we’ve yet seen. There’s the standard forums and picture galleries, but they’ve also got a garage. The garage allows users to upload profiles of their own rides for others to view and browse in a nice, clean format. This is a great place to connect with other Dodge enthusiasts.
Viper Alley
What would Dodge be without the Viper? And what would men be without a whole lot of trash talk? Not for the faint of heart, this site delivers Viper enthusiast forums with all the grunge of a bunch of HP junkies. There’s some great information, just be ready for the occasional brawl.
Recent News
Return of the ACR Viper
That’s right – Dodge is bringing back the ACR Viper in full force. This mamba pushes 600 horsepower and includes some nice weight reductions to get you off the line faster than ever.
Cows Come Home for Ram Revival
Chrysler is working to herd cattle down Jefferson Avenue in Detroit for the January 2008 unveiling of the new Dodge Ram. Notorious for big events at auto shows, we’ll have to wait and see if the new Chrysler can pull this off.
Can Avenger Redefine the Mid-Size Market?
The new Dodge Avenger is definitely one of the most aggressively styled sedans on the market, drawing from the Charger and looking a bit like a Mazda 6. The Chicago Sun Times takes a look at this new mid-sizer to see how it compares with the rest of the market.
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