John and Horace (The Dodge Brothers) had created the new four-cylinder Dodge Model 30. Marketed as a slightly more upscale competitor to the ubiquitous Ford Model T, it pioneered or made standard many features later taken for granted: all-steel body construction (the vast majority of cars worldwide still used wood-framing under steel panels, though Stoneleigh and BSA used steel bodies as early as 1911); 12-volt electrical system (6-volt systems would remain the norm until the 1950s); 35 horsepower (versus the Model T's 20), and sliding-gear transmission (the best-selling Model T would retain an antiquated planetary design until its demise in 1927). As a result of this, and the brothers' well-earned reputation for the highest quality truck, transmission and motor parts they made for other successful vehicles, Dodge Brothers cars were ranked at second place for U.S. sales as early as 1916. As the Dodge brothers decided to produce their own vehicle, John Dodge was once quoted as saying, “Someday, people who own a Ford are going to want an automobile”, and introduced their first car in 1914.
This Model 30 is getting a new paint job, top and the motor rebuilt. We are going to make this thing look like it just rolled off the floor in 1921. Only with a better paint job! We are excited to tear into this beauty. Keep up with the progress!
