Dodge

Horace and John Dodge started their first company together in 1914 called the Dodge Brothers Motor Vehicle company. The two had the experience to open up this new company after working on automotive and bicycling parts. Their very first car was a touring car – which became a favorite among car buyers and was soon joined by the roadster and a four-door sedan. Only three years later in 1917 the company introduced their model line to trucks.

Vehicles like the Dodge Dart and the Custom 880 kept the manufacturer in American driveways throughout the 1960s. That decade also saw the launch of one of Dodge’s most iconic vehicles, the Charger. Dodge’s muscle car was based on the Coronet platform, and featured a fastback roofline, hidden headlamps and a full-width taillamp panel. Best of all, the Charger could pack one heck of a wallop under the hood. A 318-cubic-inch V8 was standard, but buyers seeking maximum brawn could upgrade to a 426-cubic-inch, 425-hp Hemi V8. The company also introduced a Mustang-fighting pony car, called the Challenger, in 1970.