Dodge Brothers

The Dodge Brothers , John and Horace were sons of Daniel Dodge , a foundry and machine shop operator in Niles Michigan . John and Horace were very close all their lives . As children they played together and as men they took jobs in the same places and worked together . Daniel Dodge moved the family to Port Huron were he opened a machine shop . It specialized in automotive parts , but the business failed and John and Horace went to work for other companies in Detroit and in Windsor Ontario , as machinists . In 1897 the brothers partnered with Fred Evans to open Evans & Dodge bicycle manufacturing , making E&D bicycles .

In 1900 John and Horace sold there share of the bicycle company and used the money to open their machine shop in Detroit , were they started making automobile parts . Oldsmobile was one of their customers , and Henry Ford was their biggest account . The Dodge brothers even took shares in Henry Fords company as partial payment for parts they supplied to Henry . The Dodge Brothers were among the financial partners , when Henry Ford started the Ford Motor Company . They owned 10 % of Ford Motor Company .

In 1914 John and Horace built the “Dodge Model 30”. It had all metal framing under the body metal and used a 12 volt electrical system .

1915 Dodge Brothers Touring

By 1916 Dodge automobiles were second in sales in North America and remained second only to the Ford Model T until 1920 .

The Dodge brothers income from their share of the Ford Motor Company was about one Million dollars a year . In 1916 Henry Ford bought out all the share holders in his company and the Dodge Brothers received about 25 Million Dollars for their shares .

The Dodge brothers were very good at work and with business and were the best machinists in the country . It is said that they were very different after hours . Horace was very mild tempered and quiet and had an interest in music . Though it is said that on one occasion after Horace left a bar , he was made fun of while he attempted to crank his Model T Ford to a start . Horace very quickly flattened the fun maker and then casually went back and started the car ? It is said that , Horace was turned down as a member of a Social Club in Detroit and so bought the land next to the club and built a mansion that made that social club look like an out house ?

John Dodge was some what wilder that Horace and liked to socialize ? It is said that on one occasion John took out a pistol and forced a bartender to dance on the bar , and the broke glasses against a wall . The next day John returned to the bar and paid for all the damages .

1923 Dodge

In 1920 both the Dodge Brothers passed away , John in January and Horace in December . The widows of the brothers hired a long time employee as manager of the Dodge Brothers company but sale declined and the company was sold to an investment company in 1925 , for a record 146 million dollars . Dodge was aquired by Walter Chrysler in 1928 .

1927 Dodge .

Dodge Zero concept . Possible Dodge of the future .

See more cars like this on this website

The links and advertisers on this website also have interesting information for you too and its always free to look .