We all know about Dodge cars but who knew that the Dodge brothers virtually built the first cars for ol' Henry (of Ford fame!)!
In 1897 the Dodge brothers, Horace and John, started building bicycles in Detroit, Michigan. They became very well known for design and innovation and caught the interest of a fella by the name of Ransome E. Olds. He was just getting into building the Curved Dash Oldsmobile automobile and he asked the brothers, who were already building auto parts for others, to build the power train for the new car line.
This was a success for all parties involved but it became a ,matter of great concern to another newcomer into the automobile field, Henry Ford. Henry was all hot to take over the Oldsmobile market share but to do that he needed a car to sell. His brainchild was the Model T but he had no parts. After much negotiation which ultimately cost him 10% of his new auto company the Dodge brothers began building car parts for Ford. These parts included almost everything it took to build the Model T.
About 1912 or so Henry decided that the brothers were becoming too powerful in the industry and tried to break them financially.
Remember the 10% share?
Henry lost in his attempt and ended up paying out Horace and John with enough money to start their own factory under the name of "Dodge Brothers".
Again their innovation proved itself when their first car off the line (they had actually invented the assembly line for Ford) had an all steel body, beating the competition by at least two decades. They also waxed the seat of Fords pants with a much better product than what Ford was selling. This included, but was not limited to, a 35 hp engine compared to the 20 hp of the Model T. For a time the Dodge Brothers automobile was at the top of the heap and everyone else was trying to play catch up.
