Dodge: A Legacy of Power and the Evolution of Its Iconic Logo

Dodge is an American automotive company, was founded in the early 1900s by Horace Elgin and John Francis Dodge, originally known as Dodge Brothers Company. Acquired by Chrysler in 1928. Now let’s take a brief look at the history of the company to learn about its journey from its inception to the present.

History of Dodge

Dodge Brothers Inc., founded in 1914 by brothers John Francis and Horace Elgin Dodge in Detroit, Michigan, initially supplied parts and assemblies to Detroit-based automakers. In 1902, Henry Ford offered 10% of his company to the Dodge brothers in exchange for automotive parts for Ford vehicles. They became stockholders and engine builders for a decade before starting their own automotive company. Dodge became the first company to mass-produce an all-steel touring car and by 1915, had sold over 45,000 cars, ranking them as the third best-selling automaker in America. However, in 1920, the Dodge Brothers faced illness, with Horace and John both suffering from pneumonia. John passed away, while Horace remained sick for a few months before dying.

After the Dodge brothers' death, their families sold the company to Dillon, Read & Co. in 1925, which later sold it to Chrysler in 1928 for $175 million. Under Chrysler's ownership, Dodge continued to grow, improving through exceptional production techniques, new designs, innovations, and increased publicity, renaming the company as Dodge. WWII led to Dodge focusing on war materials and evolving their vehicles into taller, boxier models. This led to the development of high-powered, high-style cars, eventually becoming Chrysler's performance brand. From the late 60s to early 80s, Dodge participated in NASCAR racing, introducing compact cars, caravans, and trucks.

Meaning of “Dodge”

Dodge, meaning "to avoid" in English, is associated with a century-old automotive company founded by brothers John and Horace Dodge, who chose the surname "Dodge" to represent their company. Dodge, a company known for its commitment to quality, value, and dependability, has established itself as a symbol of these values.

Meaning of Dodge Symbol

The Ram's Head logo, a familiar and admired automotive emblem, originated in Dodge's vehicles and became the symbol for RAM trucks. Over the past century, Dodge has used various mysterious and fascinating logos, providing insight into their history and popularity.

History of Dodge Symbol

Six-Pointed Star (1914-1938)

From 1909 to 1914, Dodge Brothers Inc. used a round shield symbol with "DB" interlocked. In 1914, a redesigned logo featured two black and white interlocking triangles, forming the Star of David, despite the brothers' non-Jewish background.

Forward Look (1955-1962)

From 1941 to 1957, Dodge's family crest was used until Virgil Exner created the "Forward Look" logo, featuring two boomerang shapes symbolizing progress and rocket propulsion technology.

Fratzog (1962-1976)

The Dodge logo from 1962 to 1976 featured a fractured deltoid shape called the Fratzog, a gibberish term created by the designer as a name requirement.

Chrysler Pentastar (1982-1992)

From 1982 to 1992, Dodge adopted Chrysler's Pentastar logo, using red for differentiation and blue for Chrysler's, to maintain corporate identification.

1990

In the 1990s, Dodge introduced the Ram's head emblem on Dodge RAM trucks to differentiate its brand as powerful. As hood ornaments were phased out, the emblem became a consistent badge on nearly every Dodge vehicle. After FIAT acquired Chrysler in 2009, RAM became an independent brand, and Dodge repurposed the Ram head logo for pickup trucks, requiring a new logo design by Wieden & Kennedy.

Dodge designed a youthful logo for Chrysler's Street and Racing Technology group, featuring diagonal reddish-orange hash marks, twin slanted slashes for speed, chrome text for dignity, and red for passion, contrasting with the powerful Dodge Viper. Dodge's new logo, initially designed for digital and print media, was later added to vehicle grilles as a badge on models built from 2012 onwards.

Finally

The Dodge brand, known for its power, durability, reliability, and quality, has evolved from muscle cars to family cars. Despite its modern-day dominance, Dodge continues to produce various models and powertrain options, attracting customers with their dependability. You can now check the Dodge stocklist for more available models.