Dodge 100 Years

"Dodge 100 is the official, Dodge-licensed complete illustrated history of the legendary American automotive brand. From Horace and John Dodge's dealings with Henry Ford, through the war years, and into the modern age with cars like the Viper and Dodge Dart, Dodge 100 Years is the authoritative history of one of the world's first (and best) automakers"--

Since the 1950s, Dodge has produced a series of charismatic performance cars that have given the company a unique reputation among American car makers. The original Charger and Challenger and the more recent Viper and Caliber SRT are outstanding examples of the company s commitment to cars of high performance and aggressive styling. Peter Grist s pictorial history of these typically American machines gives a fascinating insight into their ancestry and evolution and celebrates the huge impact they have made on the road and on the track. His account is an exciting introduction that will appeal to everyone who is interested in American automobile history. When the first Dodge performance cars were conceived in the early 1950s, they were a brave step for a company that was well known for its dependable saloons and pickups. Peter Grist describes this change of direction and the radical new thinking that resulted in the creation of the innovative Dodge Hemi V8 of 1953. This remarkable engine provided the power for the first sporting Dodges and led to the race-bred D-500 series of 1956, the first Dodge Muscle car. But Dodge s reputation for creating big, potent, sporting cars was really consolidated in the 1960s and early 1970s the muscle-car era when the Dart, Charger and Challenger were so successful on the road, the race track and drag strip. The book features these historic cars and the drivers who have raised Dodge to a pre-eminent position over the last 50 years. Featuring illustrations of Dodge s styling experiments and concept cars, which had such a strong effect on their production models, from the first Dodge concept the 1954 Firearrow up to the most recent Challenger and Hornet. The book brings together an evocative collection of over 200 photographs and adverts that offer a unique look at ALL of Dodge s fast cars in one book. this is an entertaining and informative guide to the Dodge tradition which will be essential reading for Dodge enthusiasts and for everyone who enjoys their cars at full speed.

At the start of the Ford Motor Company in 1903, the Dodge Brothers supplied nearly every car part needed by the up-and-coming auto giant. After fifteen years of operating a successful automotive supplier company, much to Ford's advantage, John and Horace Dodge again changed the face of the automotive market in 1914 by introducing their own car. The Dodge Brothers automobile carried on their names even after their untimely deaths in 1920, with the company then remaining in the hands of their widows until its sale in 1925 to New York bankers and subsequent purchase in 1928 by Walter Chrysler. The Dodge nameplate has endured, but despite their achievements and their critical role in the early success of Henry Ford, John and Horace Dodge are usually overlooked in histories of the early automotive industry. Charles K. Hyde's book The Dodge Brothers: The Men, the Motor Cars, and the Legacy is the first scholarly study of the Dodge brothers and their company, chronicling their lives-from their childhood in Niles, Michigan, to their long years of learning the machinist's trade in Battle Creek, Port Huron, Detroit, and Windsor, Ontario-and examining their influence on automotive manufacturing and marketing trends in the early part of the twentieth century. Hyde details the brothers' civic contributions to Detroit, their hiring of minorities and women, and their often anonymous charitable contributions to local organizations. Hyde puts the Dodge brothers' lives and accomplishments in perspective by indicating their long-term influence, which has continued long after their deaths. The most complete and accurate resource on John and Horace Dodge available, The Dodge Brothers uses sources that have never before been examined. Its scholarly approach and personal tone make this book appealing for automotive historians as well as car enthusiasts and those interested in Detroit's early development.

The Dodge Charger is a slick machine that turns heads wherever it goes. Discover its past and what the future may hold for this famous muscle car with a racing heritage.