Now more than a century old, the Dodge brand got its start in 1915 with the Dodge Brothers Model 30-35.

As we’ve noted before here at Mac’s Motor City Garage, the relationship between Henry Ford and the Dodge brothers has been represented in many ways, but the truth is they were originally partners. John and Horace Dodge were instrumental in the founding of the Ford Motor Company, both as major shareholders in the 1903 startup and as its primary parts supplier. As Ford prospered so did the Dodge Brothers Company, until by 1913 both were vast enterprises with thousands of employees, and the partners had become wealthy beyond their wildest dreams.

1915 Dodge Touring with John and Horace Dodge 

But while both companies had grown to enormous size, they were totally dependent on each other, a precarious arrangement.  Ultimately, the two operations would have to be merged or go their separate ways. And naturally, tensions only grew as Ford and the Dodge brothers developed their own convictions about auto manufacturing. So in 1913, the Dodges informed Ford that they were ending their supplier agreement, while retaining their large holding in Ford shares. In July of 1914, the brothers raised $5 million with a public stock offering, and on November 14 of that year they introduced the first car to bear their name: the Dodge Brothers Model 30-35.

1917 Dodge Brothers 30-35 chassis

As historians have noted, if you want to understand the philosophical differences between Ford and the Dodges on automobile design, you need only compare the 1915 Dodge to the Model T Ford. The brothers had constantly pressed Ford to upgrade the T while Ford (profitably, it turns out) always refused. Their Model 30-35 may be interpreted, at least in part, as a vision of what the Dodge brothers thought the Model T should be.

Both the Ford and Dodge were simple, straightforward machines devoid of frills. But the Dodge was considerably larger with a 114-in wheelbase, more than a foot longer than the Ford, with semi-elliptic leaf springs on all four corners. Instead of the basic planetary gearbox of the Model T, the Dodge brothers adopted a conventional three-speed sliding-gear transmission and a multiple-disc dry clutch. Steering was via an actual worm gearbox, while the wheels and tires were a full 32 by 3.5 inches.

1917 Dodge Brothers 30-35 hp engine

The four-cylinder engine was a significant upgrade from the Model T as well. At 212 cubic inches, it was nearly 20 percent larger in displacement and rated at 30-35 horsepower, hence the 30-35 designation. That compared to Ford’s 20-22 hp, a 59 percent improvement. The Dodge also boasted a water pump rather than the Ford’s thermo-siphon system, and a real Eiseman high-tension magneto instead of trembler coils. The brothers also incorporated a 12-volt electrical system with a chain-driven North East starter-generator, while the intake manifold was integrated into the cylinder block, creating a clean exterior appearance.

Of course, all these improvements came at a price: $790 at introduction compared to $440 for the Ford. Clearly, the two cars were aimed at two different markets. Despite its higher cost, the Dodge 30-35 raced up the sales charts right from the start, selling 45,000 units in 1915—a far cry from Ford’s half-million cars that year, but good enough for third in U.S. sales. While Dodge Brothers offered a variety of body styles from the start, including closed models, by far the most popular was the five-passenger Touring Car, the price leader.

Above all else, the original Dodge brothers cars had a reputation for reliability. Proof of the 30-35’s sound engineering can be found in the fact that the same basic design remained in production well into the 1920s. In fact, the car outlived the Dodge brothers themselves, as older brother John died in January 1920, while Horace followed him in December, both victims of hard living and an influenza epidemic. They were only 55 and 52.

In 1925, their widows sold the company to investment bankers Dillion, Read, and Company for $146 million in a deal that was said to tbe largest cash transaction in history. After protracted negotiations, Walter P. Chrysler and the Chrysler Corporation acquired the automaker for $170 million in July of 1928. Chrysler continued to produce and market cars under the Dodge Brothers brand through 1930, when “brothers” was dropped and the name was shortened to simply Dodge.