While it seems we cover our fair share of thirties era cars here on Barn Finds, rarely does a car from the twenties show up that isn’t a Ford. That is a shame, because cars from the teens and twenties represent the final stages of our shift from horse centered transportation to the automobile driven world we still thrive under. Roads were better and more numerous, and our journeys became much longer. We needed cars that would reliably and comfortably take us from town to town. Part of this need was met by cars like this 1920 Dodge touring, being sold on eBay out of Cavan, Ontario in Canada. Said by the seller to be nearly all original, this natty old Dodge even has it’s original top and upholstery. In fact, the top is said to have never been taken down throughout the car’s entire history! With bidding currently at a shameful $3,050, do you have room in your collection for this stately classic?
The Dodge Brothers got started in 1900, and soon found themselves serving as parts suppliers for many of the automobile manufacturers that were popping up in the Detroit area. Eventually, their biggest purchaser became the Ford Motor Company. As a rising tide lifts all boats, the brothers soon found themselves wealthy enough to begin producing their own cars in 1914. With quality construction and innovative features, the Dodge brand established itself as a mid level choice for consumers. Ever increasing sales put the company right behind Ford in production numbers, and contracts to provide cars and trucks to the military during World War I helped to provide the company with a level of stability and profitability that many other car producers couldn’t match.
Unfortunately, 1920 was a dark year for Dodge. Both of the founding brothers died that year, one from pneumonia and one from cirrhosis of the liver. Without the attention and dedication that the brothers provided, sales would slip over the years. Still, the reputation for being a solid, well built car stayed with the firm up to its acquisition by The Chrysler Corporation years later. This Dodge, made in that fateful year, is a testament of just how good these cars really were. According to the seller, what you see is basically an unrestored example of the marque that has received excellent care over the years. It was owned by a family friend for sixty years before they purchased it, and only an overspray of the original paint and a new tire separate it from being all original. Believe it or not, the “family friend” purchased the car from the original owner in 1957!
The only obvious problems are that the car turns over slowly when originally started, the speedometer had been taken out of the car, and some of the side curtains are missing. For those of you not familiar with side curtains, these are canvas and clear plastic “curtains” that attach to the top frame and the body to provide some semblance of weather protection for the car. They are a pain in the posterior if you get caught in a sudden rainstorm, but are better than nothing at all. Be glad that this old school motoring joy has passed the way of the dodo bird.
For having been built close to a century ago, the condition of the interior is amazing. The leather door panels look to be just some polishing and dyeing away from being ready to go for another 100 years. Unfortunately, cracking and tears due to dryness make some portions of the front seat unpresentable. A high quality leather conditioner and maybe some creative stitching by a talented upholsterer might help the leather last a few more decades. Otherwise, the wooden steering wheel is in good shape, and the spot for missing speedometer is evident in the dash. The speedometer comes with the car. The odometer on that speedometer reads just 91,205, but the seller can’t confirm that this is the actual mileage.
The back seat is in even better condition. Dryness is one of leather’s biggest enemies, and the lack of conditioning over the years is apparent. Before utilizing this back seat for family and friends, the new owner would be wise to spend some time cleaning and conditioning all of the leather in this car. That it has survived so long in such good condition is a miracle. Having it destroyed by frequent use would be a crime after all of these years.
Under the hood, the originality show continues. Notice the little rectangle towards the front of the engine block between cylinders one and two. That is the date the block was cast, which would be April 13, 1920. For those of you who are superstitious, that was a Tuesday and not a Friday! Underneath that date looks to be a generator that is chain or gear driven off the front of the crankshaft. We also see an updraft carburetor and the steering mechanism for the car. The oilcan is also a nice touch, but one needed by cars of this time period. The idea of only opeingin the hood every 5,000 miles for service was still quite a few years off.
How could a car lover not want to have one of these to drive to cruise ins and local car shows? It is remarkable that this car has survived in such great shape for so long. Sadly, the $3,050 bid so far gives you a good idea of the popularity of rolling relics. You’d likely find few parts for this Dodge at the local NAPA, and that scares people. Anything needed for the car would have to be a refurbished used part or the job of your local machine shop. The upside is that these cars were built tough to survive the evolving roads of the time. As long as you took good care of the car, my guess is that it would be reliable and would provide a rewarding ownership experience.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
I’m surprised that there aren’t more of these around. Dodge was buying all steel bodies from Budd as early as 1912 and there engines were some of the best made in the industry, in fact they were making model t engines for Ford before the dodge brothers started up there own car manufacturing company. This is a nice example of the 1920 and soon eclipsed by much more modern cars by the 30’s I wouldn’t do a thing to this car other than to continue to preserve it and enjoy Sunday drives in it.
I rode in one in the late ’60’s, it ambled along on the secondary roads at about 35 mph, up hill and down, lots of torque in a slow turning engine, where it shone was on a dirt road where the large diameter tires and long suspension travel smoothed out the bumps. A parade car today, or, maybe if you live where there are 35 mph secondary roads, a Sunday driver.
But note the price – ordinary cars of the 30’s are dropping (like Model A Fords) and ’40’s cars likewise, and the 50’s cars (the ordinary ones) are probably at their peak.
I think that unit on the lower left front of the engine is the starter-generator,also called the “silent starter”.
I find it hard to imagine 91000 miles on that car….9100 maybe ?
Yes Bob, that is a four digit odometer. 12k reserve, not gonna make it!
For all those of you who complain about how expensive the cool cars are, and how the rich people have taken our hobby away… well, here is a perfect example of a really neat and interesting ride one can pick-up for a song!
We have a 22 Dodge Brothers coupe. Really fun old car to drive and it does turn heads. Very simple but yes, if you need a water pump, you are talking to the local machinist.
I’ll bet it turns over slowly because the owner is using a 6v battery. Those chain drive starter/generators are 12v.
I like this one. Happy car.
Nice car! Great write up!
My great-grandparents and grandfather bought one of these brand new and drove from Vermont to Fresno, CA in it. Grandma Shirley was a school marm and kept a daily diary of the trip, which had entries like, “Nice creekbed we drove through today!” and “Had trouble finding a farmer that would let us camp on their property last night.” No Interstates nor not many Roadside Inns in those days to stay in! They weren’t especially poor, but made the trip as an adventure for my then 10-year-old grandfather! They had joined the Automobile Association of America (AAA) for the maps, and she remained a member until she quit driving in 1977. At 65, they’re the only insurance I’ve ever had, too.
The Dodge brothers actually signed a contract with the Ford Motor Company in 1903 to supply engines and transmissions to Ford. Henry had no money to put down, so the Dodge brothers received 10% of the company’s stock, valued at $10,000. And this is where the wealth came in. As Ford Motor made money and paid dividends, the Dodge Brothers received 10% of the declared dividend and money for the items they built for Ford.
Ford Motor announced they were going to build a large plant and build their own engines and transmissions. That resulted in the decision by the Dodge brothers to build their own car. The first Dodge Brothers car rolled off the line on November 14, 1914.
Henry Ford declared in 1919 that Ford Motor was going to stop paying dividends and put the money into the new plant (River Rouge), The Dodge brothers took Henry to court and won – Ford had to pay dividends and Dodge’s 10% share came to $2,081,214. Henry Ford then decided to buy out the non-Ford family stockholders and the Dodges 10% came to $25 million. Nice return on $10,000.
And the above was on top of the $8 million in dividends paid out prior to 1911 as well as the profits made on the items built for Ford Motor.
The Dodge Brothers car in this article is a 1920 model located in Canada.
The car on the eBay site is a 1923 model located in Pennsylvania.
Looking at the two little appears to have been changed during the three years.
Dodge Brothers started using Budd steel car bodies in 1914, The steel on wood frame bodies were painted with coloured varnishes prior to the advent of lacquer paints in 1924 and took up to two weeks to dry. The steel bodies were painted with black enamel and could be heat dried at 400 degrees in a matter of hours. The wood frames were likely to catch fire in the heat dry oven.