dodge / scale 1/43 | thebiggarage

Horace and John Dodge founded the Dodge Brothers Company in 1900 in Detroit, Michigan.

Dodge is an American brand of automobile manufactured by FCA US LLC (formerly known as Chrysler Group LLC), based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles currently include performance cars, though for much of its existence Dodge was Chrysler's mid-priced brand above Plymouth.

Headquarters Auburn Hills, Michigan, United States

w200 1957-1965

The Dodge Power Wagon is a four wheel drive medium duty truck that was produced in various model series from 1945 to 1980 by Dodge, then as a nameplate for the Dodge Ram from 2005 to 2013.

The Power Wagon was the first mass-produced 4x4 medium duty truck, and represents a significant predecessor to the many modern four wheel drive trucks in use today. Updated variants continued in production until 1964.

Dodge W200 (youtube.com)

custom royal lancer hardtop 1955-1959

The Dodge Custom Royal is an automobile which was produced by Dodge in the United States for the 1955 through 1959 model years. In each of these years the Custom Royal was the top trim level of the Dodge line, above the mid level Dodge Royal and the base level Dodge Coronet. 2 Door and 4 Door Hardtop models, along with the convertible were referred to as "Custom Royal Lancers" only the 4 Door Sedan was known as strictly a "Custom Royal".

Dodge Custom Royal Hardtop (youtube.com)

custom royal lancer convertible 1957-1959

The Dodge Custom Royal is an automobile which was produced by Dodge in the United States for the 1955 through 1959 model years. In each of these years the Custom Royal was the top trim level of the Dodge line, above the mid level Dodge Royal and the base level Dodge Coronet. 2-Door Hardtop, 4-Door Hardtop and Convertible models were marketed under the name "Dodge Custom Royal Lancer".

The Royal continued as the intermediate trim level in the Dodge line for models years 1957 through 1959. A Royal Lancer Convertible was added for 1957 only.

The Royal was discontinued for the 1960 model year, when the full-size Dodge line was reduced to two trim levels.

Dodge Custom Royal Lancer Convertible (youtube.com)

The Dodge Polara is an automobile introduced in the United States for the 1960 model year as Dodge's top-of-the-line full-size car. After the introduction of the Dodge Custom 880 in 1962, the Polara nameplate designated a step below the full-sized best trimmed Dodge model. The Polara name was used by Dodge until 1973, when its position in Dodge's line-up was replaced by the Dodge Monaco.

The name Polara is a reference to the Polaris star, in a marketing attempt to appeal to the excitement surrounding the Space Race during the early 1960s.

2 doors hardtop coupe- 1960-1961

The 1960 Polara and other full-sized Dodges featured styling cues carried over from 1959 models, itself an evolution of Virgil Exner's "Forward Look" cars introduced in 1957. The 1960 model year also marked the first year that all Chrysler models, except for the Imperial, used unibody construction. For 1961, Dodge dropped the Matador, leaving the Polara as the sole "senior" Dodge model.

In 1961 sales of full-size Dodges plunged to their lowest levels since the firm's founding in 1914, with only 14.032 units produced in the United States.

All Dodge models were redesigned with smaller, lighter, sculpted bodies for the next generations which started in 1962.

Dodge Polara Hardtop Coupe (youtube.com)

sedan 1969-1973

The new 1969 Polara wore a broad-shouldered streamlined design, called the "fuselage design", which would continue for five model years. New safety requirements included front seat head restraints.

For 1969, the Polara 500 was reintroduced as a mid-level series between the standard Polara and top-of-the-line Monaco. The Polara 500 was available as either a convertible or hardtop coupe. Available powerplants included 318, 383, and 440 cubic-inch V8 engines, along with a 225 cubic-inch slant-6 engine. The 1969 Dodge Polara models offered the "Super-Lite" option, which placed a quartz auxiliary "turnpike beam" headlamp in the driver side grille.

The 1969 CHP Polara held the record on the Chrysler test track in Chelsea, MI, until 1994 for the highest top speed achieved by a factory-built 4-door sedan - 241 km/h until the record was broken by a 1994 Chevrolet Caprice with an LT1 engine.

Sales of the Polara were declining. Having been eclipsed by the Monaco, Dodge discontinued the Polara after 1973. The energy crisis in the fall of 1973, spurred on by the Arab/OPEC oil embargo, resulted in a drop in sales of all full-size American automobiles that did not provide good fuel economy. The redesigned 1974 Monaco replaced the Polara.

Dodge Polara Sedan (youtube.com)

charger 500 1968-1970

The Dodge Charger was introduced during the 1966 model year. It featured a two-door fastback body design and a four bucket seat interior. The intermediate-sized Charger shared components with the Coronet. The base engine was a 5.2 L V8 with a three speed manual. Larger and more powerful engines were also available. Sales were low.

The Charger was redesigned for 1968, and demand was high and 96,100 Dodge Chargers were actually produced.

Dodge Charger 500 (youtube.com)

The Dodge Challenger is the name of three different generations of automobiles. However, the first use of the Challenger name by Dodge dates back to 1959 for marketing a "value version" of the full-sized Coronet Silver Challenger.

From model years 1970 to 1974, the first-generation Dodge Challenger pony car was built using the Chrysler E platform in hardtop and convertible body styles sharing significant components with the Plymouth Barracuda.

The second generation, from model years 1978 to 1983, was a badge engineered Mitsubishi Galant Lambda / Sapporo, a coupe version of an economical compact car.

The third and current generation is a full-size muscle car that was introduced in early 2008 initially as a rival to the evolved fifth generation Ford Mustang and the fifth generation Chevrolet Camaro.

challenger r/t 1970-1974

Introduced in the autumn of 1969 for the 1970 model year, the Challenger was one of two Chrysler E-body cars, the other being the slightly smaller Plymouth Barracuda. Positioned to compete against the Mercury Cougar and Pontiac Firebird in the upper end of the pony car market segment, it was "a rather late response" to the Ford Mustang, which debuted in April 1964. Even so, Chrysler intended the new Challenger as the most potent pony car ever, and like the less expensive Barracuda, it was available in a staggering number of trim and option levels, and with virtually every engine in Chrysler's inventory.

The Challenger's longer wheelbase, larger dimensions, and more luxurious interior were prompted by the launch of the 1967 Mercury Cougar, likewise, a bigger, more luxurious, and more expensive pony car aimed at affluent young American buyers.

The exterior design was penned by Carl Cameron, who was also responsible for the exterior designs of the 1966 Dodge Charger. Cameron based the 1970 Challenger grille on an older sketch of a stillborn 1966 Charger prototype that was to have a turbine engine.

The pony car segment was already declining by the time the Challenger arrived. Sales fell dramatically after 1970, and though sales rose for the 1973 model year with over 27.800 cars being sold, Challenger production ceased midway through the 1974 model year. A total of 165.437 first-generation Challengers were sold.

Dodge Challenger r/t (youtube.com)

challenger special frua 1970

“Signore” Pietro Frua was already a big shot at the legendary Pininfarina design firm. Later, he walked out of the company to do his own thing and created some of the most memorable, most amazing, and most desirable one-off cars ever made. These were, of course, not cheap; in the early ’70s, a Frua special was in the $100,000+ range ($730,000 in 2020).

So let’s say you’re an important, loaded fellow, and you need a new ride. Something unique because mass production is for poor people. Something Italian but with some muscle? You call Mr. Frua, and incredible automotive magic happens. Dr. Alfred Shäfer, director of the Schweizer Bankgesellschaft (Swiss banks union), did just this in 1970. Shäfer was friends with Walter Haefner, Swiss entrepreneur (today one of the oldest billionaires in the world), founder of AMAG (Automobil Motoren-AG), and Chrysler importer in the Confoederatio Helvetica; together, they came up with the idea of turning a regular Dodge Challenger into something extraordinary, and Frua made it happen. The R/T SE 383 Challenger was given a sleek Italian body and an assortment of parts from European cars to be reborn as the timeless masterpiece it became, a Mopar in a tuxedo.

Without a doubt one of the most beautiful cars ever made, the Frua Challenger has (thankfully) made it to the present in great condition; the car was almost left unfinished because it nearly “killed” its creators, Shäfer and Haefner; the two were returning from a meeting with Frua in Turin when their plane experienced problems and was forced to make an emergency belly landing. The Challenger exchanged hands in 1977, ending up with Nicolas Leutwiler Zumikon, another Swiss national. Despite being only seven years old, Zumikon ordered a full car restoration; he also had the interiors replaced (white cream leather), the radiator grill chromed (black), the bumper overriders removed, and the wheels changed for wire ones.

Dodge Challenger Special Frua (youtube.com)

sportsman van 1971-1980

The Dodge B series was a range of full-size vans that were produced by Chrysler Corporation from 1970 to 2003. Through their production, the full-size vans were sold under several different nameplates. Most examples were sold by the Dodge division, although rebadged versions were sold by the now-defunct Fargo and Plymouth divisions.

Although Chrysler would make two redesigns of the B-platform van, much of the exterior sheetmetal would remain nearly unchanged over 32 years of production, making it one of the longest-used automotive platforms in American automotive history.

Dodge Sportsman Van (youtube.com)

aries 1981-1988

The K-car platform was a key automotive design platform introduced by Chrysler Corporation for the 1981 model year.

The platform was developed just as the company faltered in the market, at first underpinning a modest range of compact/mid-size sedans and wagons—and eventually underpinning nearly fifty different models.

The K-cars sold over 2 million vehicles from 1981 to 1988, and around 100,000 in their final year, 1989.

Dodge Aries (youtube.com)

viper sr1 1991-1995

The Dodge Viper is a sports car that was manufactured by Dodge (by SRT for 2013 and 2014) from 1992 until 2017, having taken a brief hiatus in 2007 and from 2010 to 2012.

Although Chrysler considered ending production because of serious financial problems. In 2010 the then chief executive Sergio Marchionne announced and previewed a new model of the Viper for 2012. The Viper was eventually discontinued in 2017 after being in production for 26 years. Lamborghini (then owned by Chrysler Corporation) helped with the design of the V10 engine for the Viper, which was based on the Chrysler's LA V8 engine.

Dodge Viper SR1 (youtube.com)