There are several truly admirable carmakers in the States. From Ford to Chevrolet, and what's now called Stellantis, American roads have seen some of the best cars ever made. Though several brands have disappeared over the years, some of them remained in business and actually grew in size.

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Dodge's history is quite interesting. Some of Dodge's most reliable sports cars have greatly shaped the domestic automotive sector. From the outstanding '69 Dodge Charger R/T to today's completely insane high-end performance lineup, Dodge has provided its consumers with excellent vehicles for more than eight decades.

10 The Bros

Behind every great American car company, there is a great man. Or in this case, two. John Francis Dodge and Horace Elgin Dodge are at the origin of the Dodge Brothers Company. Unlike the Dodge car commercials, John and Horace were highly intelligent and talented.

Some of Dodge's cars paved the way for the sickest Dodge muscle cars of all time. However, the two brothers did not go right away in the car manufacturing business. They first earned their stripes building bicycles. Following this success, they started making parts for the Old Motor Vehicle Company, and then for Ford Motors.

9 First Dodge

When looking back at the 1920s, most people tend to remember crucial historical milestones. Women gained the right to vote and the infamous Ponzi scheme was created. As far as the automotive industry is concerned, only die-hard car fans know that Dodge released its very first car just prior to that decade.

The Dodge Model 30 was introduced at the beginning of World War 1. During that time, Dodge was manufacturing military trucks for the US army. Though production focused mainly on supporting the war effort, the 1914 Model 30 is a marvel that most collectors would love to own. Its 212 ci inline-four can is factory rated at 35 hp.

8 Animosity

It is a known fact that Henry Ford revolutionized not only the domestic car industry, but also the way companies should go about producing goods. Ford's production model combined with outstanding design work allowed the company to manufacture emblematic cars such as the Model T.

John Francis Dodge was at some point the vice-president of Ford Motors. The commercial partnership that was established in 1903 between Ford and Dodge went sour over time. The Dodge brothers and Henry Ford ended up settling their differences in court after Dodge released its Model 30, which was directly competing with Ford's Model T.

7 New Ownership

Every single American car fan knows that Dodge was bought out by Chrysler at some point in time. It is true that Walter P. Chrysler acquired Dodge back in the 1920s. What is less known is that by that time, the Dodge brothers had succumbed to the Spanish flu.

The Spanish flu killed millions of people, including the Dodge brothers. Having produced some marvelous parts and vehicles for a little over 20 years, the Dodge brothers had created a good reputation for themselves. Consequently, seeing the potential of the Dodge Brothers Company, Chrysler Corporation bought the brand and released the first Chrysler/Dodge Standard 6 Coupe in 1928.

6 Peak

Following Dodge's change of ownership, things became quite interesting. The carmaker was sandwiched between high-end Chrysler and low-end Plymouth cars, sharing the space with other brands such as DeSoto. However, during the mid-60s, something happened. Chrysler suddenly realized that Dodge had a huge potential.

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The '69 Dodge Charger Daytona may have not aged well. It is fair to admit that the car looks somewhat goofy. However, this is a very important car in Chrysler and Dodge's history. The car won the Talladega 500 the same year, and was the first in NASCAR's history to reach 200 mph. Its current value? Over $250,000.

5 Adult Toys

From the mid-1970s onwards, the domestic car industry was in a dire state. Most muscle cars were unable to produce over 300 hp, and trucks were too heavy to replicate what sports cars could do. However, Dodge still came out with a series of trucks that remain iconic until today.

The 70s were a great decade. It was perfectly acceptable to have trucks named "Macho Power Wagon" for example. In the late 70s, Dodge released the Li'l Red Express, the Macho Power Wagon, and the Warlock as part of its Adult Toy series. They may have not been the most powerful trucks ever made, but they sure are unique.

4 Dark Ages

When the 1970s came to an end, most people knew that the American automobile industry was not bound to recover. Imports were becoming more popular, thanks to their increased power and luxurious aspect. Japanese carmakers had been established in the States for a couple of decades at this point and had to show American carmakers how the job is done.

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1980 Dodge Challenger  Sideview
Via: YouTube

The 1980 Dodge Challenger can be described using one word: yikes. First of all, it is not a Dodge car per se. It is a rebadged Mitsubishi Galant Lambda. Underneath the hood sits a lousy 2.6L inline-four cylinder engine that produces 105 hp. Back in the early 1970s, the Challenger Hemi was fitted with a solid 426 ci V8.

3 The Roaring 80s

Dodge manufactured several amazing vehicles since its inception. From the Dodge Super Bee 440 to the latest Challenger SRT Super Stock, the company made sure to always have a vehicle in its lineup that would satisfy the most fortunate (loaded) gearheads out there.

There are several things people forgot about the Dodge Viper. For example, most gearheads believe the Viper was engineered during the 90s. In fact, the very first Viper concept car came out in 1989. The VM-02 concept was originally equipped with a cast-iron V10 capable of producing 300 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque.

2 Off-Road Kings

Over the last couple of years, piston heads have seen the apparition of truly beastly trucks such as the Ford F-150 Raptor. It is a super truck that has the power of a muscle truck, and the agility and sturdiness of a Toyota Tacoma. Realizing that it was missing a huge market segment, Dodge came out with its own Raptor killers.

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The 2021 Dodge Ram 1500 TRX is a beast on and off the road. The Power Wagon, less powered and expensive than the TRX, is also a monstrous truck. The supercharged 6.2L Hemi V8 located under the TRX's hood churns out 702 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque. The Power Wagon is far less powerful, but it is a cool tribute to its predecessors.

1 Rubber Burning Machine

In 2020, Dodge made sure that it would basically own the super-muscle car market. Despite Ford's and Chevy's efforts to come up with insane variations of the Mustang and the Camaro, Dodge seemed to have created the ultimate mean machine. The Challenger may not be in its final form, but what you are seeing is already pretty scary.

Classic Dodge muscle cars are known for their exquisite looks and performance. While Dodge was unable to produce anything of the kind between the mid-70s and early 2000s, the company finally came up with decent muscle cars around the early 2010s. Today, Dodge seems to be dominating the muscle car scene with monsters such as the Challenger SRT Super Stock.

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