In 1930, Dodge got into the eight-cylinder business, but it didn’t remain there long as penny-pinching Dodge buyers favored the more economical sixes.

From the start in 1915, the Dodge Brothers car was probably best known for its rugged and reliable four-cylinder engine, which remained in production for more than a decade. The company then successfully navigated the introduction of its first six-cylinder model in 1927, the Victory Six, and its acquisition by the Chrysler Corporation in 1928. Chrysler was soon making ambitious plans for its rapidly growing enterprise, including the introduction of eight-cylinder models for the Chrysler, Dodge, and DeSoto brands.

1930 Dodge Eight DC Sedan

The first Dodge Eight, the DC introduced in 1930, was powered by a 220.7 cubic-inch version of the Chrysler straight eight with five main bearings, undersquare bore and stroke dimensions of 2.88 inches by 4.25 inches, and 75 hp. A straightforward design much like the Chrysler sixes, it featured an industry-standard L-head layout with a downdraft carburetor (Chrysler was an early adopter of the downdraft carb in 1929). A shorter-stroke version of this engine with 207.7 cubic inches was used in the DeSoto Eight CF, which also shared the Dodge Eight’s 114-in wheelbase.

While the Dodge Eight DC was continued in 1931, that year also saw the introduction of the DG series New Eight, with nine main bearings, 240.3 cubic inches, and 84 horsepower (the same engine used in the Chrysler CD). In this period, the Chrysler Corporation’s model series and model years often overlapped, so it’s complicated.  With more standard equipment, longer wheelbases, and list prices that started at more than $1,000, the Dodge Eights were significantly more expensive than the sixes.

For 1932 the DC and DG were continued (the DCs were leftover ’31s, reportedly) and yet another straight-eight model was introduced, the DK, so briefly there were three different straight-eight models in the Dodge lineup. The DK rolled on a 122-in wheelbase and was powered by a 282.1 CID inline eight, also shared with Chrysler. Due to the effects of the Great Depression, this proved to be the worst year in Dodge history with barely 50,000 cars produced. All three Dodge Eight models combined made up only a fifth of the total as the sixes carried the brand.

In a 1930 promotional stunt, a Dodge Eight DC visited countless Dodge dealers and major cities from Georgia to California, traveling up to 500 miles a day and eventually racking up 103,000 miles. 

In 1933 the last of the Dodge Eights was introduced, the DO (lead photo above). This one featured the same 122-in wheelbase and 282 CID straight eight as the previous DK, but with sleeker and more modern styling. While the division’s volume recovered in ’33 to more than 100,000 cars, pushing Dodge to fourth in the sales charts, the Dodge Eight contributed only 1.652 units to the total.

While Buick for one had successfully made the jump from sixes to eights in 1931, it never worked out for Dodge. Either Dodge buyers weren’t interested in eights, or eight-cylinder shoppers weren’t interested in Dodges. (Even at Chrysler, the sixes outsold the eights in this period.) Dodge dropped the slow-selling inline-eight models for 1934 and then stuck with its trusty L-head six exclusively for the next 19 years. Dodge wouldn’t offer another eight-cylinder car until the Red Ram hemi V8 was introduced in 1953.