Dodge, formally the Dodge Division of Chrysler Group LLC is a brand
of automobiles, minivans, and sport utility vehicles manufactured by
Chrysler Group LLC, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles
presently include the lower priced badge variants of Chrysler badged
vehicles as well as performance cars, though for much of its existence
Dodge was Chrysler's mid-priced brand above Plymouth.
Founded as the Dodge Brothers Company by brothers Horace Elgin Dodge
and John Francis Dodge in 1900, Dodge was originally a supplier of parts
and assemblies for Detroit-based automakers and began building complete
automobiles in 1915, predating the founding of Chrysler Corporation. The
Dodge brothers died suddenly in 1920 and the company was sold to Dillon,
Read & Co. in 1925 before being sold to Chrysler in 1928. Dodge vehicles
mainly consisted of trucks and full-sized passenger cars through the 1970s,
though it did make some inroads into the compact car market during this time.
The 1973 oil crisis and its subsequent impact on the American automobile
industry led Chrysler to develop the K platform of compact to midsize cars
for the 1981 model year. The K platform and its derivatives are credited with
reviving Chrysler's business in the 1980s; one such derivative became the
Dodge Caravan.
The Dodge brand has withstood the multiple ownership changes at Chrysler
from 1998–2009, including its short-lived merger with Daimler-Benz AG from
1998–2007, its subsequent sale to Cerberus Capital Management, its 2009
bailout by the United States government, and its subsequent Chapter 11
bankruptcy and acquisition by Fiat.
In 2011, Dodge, Ram, and Dodge's Viper were separated. Dodge said that the
Dodge Viper will now be a SRT product and Ram will be a manufacturer.
