Dodge Four
Dodge Four
Car : Dodge Four
Year : 1915
Engine : 4 cylinders in line
Bore and stroke :98.4?114.3 mm
Cylinder capacity : 3478 cc
Gears : 3 forward
Brake horse power :35
Maximum speed : 45 mph
Wheelbase : 9 ft 2ins (3.25 m)
Suspension : front :semi-elliptic leaf- springs ; back: ? elliptic leaf- springs
Dodge was the creation of two brothers, John and Horace Dodge, who, with a thorough mechanical knowledge learnt from their father’s firm, left their home town of Niles, Michigan for Windsor, Ontario where they made bicycles, an then later spare parts for cars. In 1901 they moved to Detroit and were successful in supplying parts to various firms, especially Ford. Relations with Ford became difficult and the brothers resolved to set up their own company. In November 1914 the first Dodge car came on the market. The reputation they had acquired as suppliers greatly helped them and by 1915 they had produced 45,000 vehicles. By 1920 they were making 625 cars a day.
The car illustrated here is an early model. The engine had side valves and developed 35 bhp. It had a cone clutch, brakes on the back wheels, and magneto ignition. The poor gear layout with 2nd and 3rd gear on the left was one of the defects of the car.
In 1917 the Dodge brothers brought out what is held to be the first car with an all steel, closed body. In 1925 the company had been bought for $146 million by Dillon, Rea, and Company, and Dodge was absorbed into the Chrysler organization in 1928.
