There is always a healthy and friendly debate on whether Dodge Brothers actually made a pickup of this vintage so I’m listing this one as a 1916 Dodge Brothers until we can work through some of the details. This “pickup” can be found here on eBay in Redwood Falls, Minnesota and the current bid price is $3,500 with no reserve.
Some sources say that the Dodge Brothers pickups of yore were actually more Graham Brothers trucks with a few Dodge pieces such as engines and drivetrains and that the first true Dodge badged pickups came along in 1930. Whether this is a converted Dodge Brothers sedan, which I think it may be, or some long lost hidden Dodge Brothers pickup, it’s still a cool vehicle.
I vote for a converted sedan. The seller says that it was parked in 2017 with proper storage techniques (fuel drained, etc.) and that it’s a great parade truck. It sure would be fun to own a truck this old whether it’s a factory piece or not. In 1917, the Dodge Bros. were successful enough with car sales that they wanted to move into trucks and they started making commercial “cars”, some of which were military vehicles – light trucks based on the rugged Dodge sedan chassis – for WWI, such as ambulances and the screen-sided business trucks that I mentioned. Other trucks soon followed even before purchasing Graham Brothers in 1925 and ’26.
That is thee smallest airbag that I’ve ever seen. Ok, enough of that. There are only two interior photos basically showing the same thing. I know that Dodge or Graham or both made a screen-sided business truck, maybe this is a conversion of that instead of a sedan, who knows. As we’ve seen in politics, “facts” aren’t always 100% true these days. One person will point out that YES, you moron, Dodge Brothers made trucks in 1916! Then the next person will counter that with different facts. My head is spinning just thinking about it.
Car, truck, cruck, Graham Bros., Dodge Bros., Fiat.. no wait, it’s too early for that. I believe this would be a 212 cubic-inch inline-four with around 25 hp. Whatever this vehicle is, it looks like it’s in good shape and the even if 1916 may have been just a little too early to be an actual Dodge Brothers brand pickup, it looks like a very functional and fun vehicle to own. Any thoughts on whether this is an actual factory-produced Dodge Brothers pickup? Maybe a converted sedan or a commercial chassis made into a pickup?
Probably a conversion from a roadster or touring car, not a sedan.
I’m sure that this truck wasn’t originally built as a truck; it was a passenger car that probably got modified to increase the gas rations during the war. There were a lot of cars met that fate back then. But then, they still turned out to be good trucks as well. From what I read in the Std. Catalog of American Trucks, Dodge trucks didn’t come from the factory until 1917, and that was with a screenside body. 1918 had a long pickup bed on a 3/4 ton chassis. Officially, Scotty is fairly accurate with true offerings coming out in the early 30s. I like this truck and it looks like it would be a lot of fun to run around in and carry the beverages to the picnic. I’d keep it sound, cleaned up and I’d drive it…
Ok Guys as a Dodge offishinauto (probably spelled wrong)2 door roadsters were converted to pickups. The body’s were built by Bud. all steel they were 2 seat roadsters with a back sections added on pickup or bathtub roadster. They appeared in 1916 unchanged through 1927 other than minor mechanicals.
Red Fatboys Rod n’ Custom
Wait, what? Are you thinking this old car/truck was still in use in 1942 for gas rationing during WWII? Even then, it would still have to be in commercial use to qualify for a “T” sticker. This would indeed be a fun old vehicle to have around to drive just as it is. It would drive more like a conventional, modern car than a Model T of the day.
Out west, even during the war, farmers cut up old cars and fit boxes or flatbeds so they could get more gas rations. I thought about this unit being a lot older myself but I saw some old photos from the war years at home, and there were some ancient relics that were repurposed during the war.
😲i have a carb from one
all brass, i found it in
the rear wheel well
trunk of a 1948 dodge
i just bought, running 4 $65,00 in 1965, perfect body, paint patina
Don’t have a clue, but it’s cool the way it is. I grew up on a 120 acre farm just north of Redding, California back in the 50’s, many of our neighbors drove cars such as model A’s that had the rumble seat removed and a little pickup bed installed. Those beds looked factory made so they must have been an after market product.
God bless America
I’d take it and get one of those flatheads that were highlighted over on ratrods.
We own an original Graham/ dodge bros pickup on the same year – it was factory and looks identical- we’ve been told there is under 10 left in the world , but who knows – I have pics – it is all black and we have all the California plates too – been in the family since it was original