| Dart ▷ | from $16,495 |
| Journey ▷ | from $19,995 |
| Avenger ▷ | from $20,595 |
| Grand Caravan ▷ | from $20,595 |
| Challenger ▷ | from $26,495 |
| Charger ▷ | from $26,995 |
| Durango ▷ | from $29,995 |
The Dodge brothers, Horace and John, had a successful bicycle company that moved to Detroit and became a parts supplier for Olds and Ford in 1901. By 1914, they had expanded to create their own car line beginning with the Dodge Model 30. The Model 30 was similar to the Model T produced by Ford except the Dodge had an all steel body, a 12-volt electrical system with automatic start, a massive 35-horsepower and other improvements. In 1917, they moved into the truck line and sold trucks to the U.S. Army for the War.
The Dodge brothers both died in 1920. Their widows were not adept at running the company and sold it to Dillon, Read, & Co. for $146 million- at that time the largest sum to have ever been paid. This holding company resold it at profit to Chrysler, where it has remained.
Dodge was the first to introduce a performance car line with their Charger in the late 60s. Although they were strong players in the pony car segment until the 70s, Chrysler in general was slow to come out with fuel-efficient models demanded by the public in that era and needed funds from the government in 1979 to keep running.
Chrysler merged with Daimler-Benz in 1998, but by 2009, Chrysler was again filing bankruptcy and required money from the U.S. government. At this point, Fiat stepped forward and bought Chrysler. Although this allowed the debt to be repaid to the government five years early, it reorganized the Chrysler brands, making Dodge the performance line and converting the Ram into its own brand of trucks.
Dodge ranks sixteenth in overall brand perception. Some of the more successful models are the Charger, the Ram (a truck), and the Grand Caravan (minivan). However, other popular models still in production include the Dart, Viper, Durango (SUV), and Challenger. Dodge is currently focused on the performance market segment.
The Chrysler Group is organized under Fiat’s CEO but retains its own Board of Directors consisting of 8 Directors. Beneath them are 23 Chief Officers, Presidents, Vice-Presidents, and Heads of the Chrysler brands including Dodge and Ram.
Dodge sales were up 14% in 2013. Combined with Ram, they sold around 1 million vehicles and contributed to a significant part of the Chrysler 11.5% market share in the U.S.
Last updated in May 2014. All prices were taken from the manufacturer's website. They're typically suggested retail prices (MSRPs) excluding tax, delivery, title, registration, license, dealer fees and optional equipment.
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