1923 Dodge Boat Tail Roadster

The Dodge brothers had made their fortune supplying Ford with engines and transmissions and such was their reputation that their first automobile, announced in 1914 for the 1915 model year, immediately leapt to third place in the sales race. After building military vehicles in World War I, the Dodge brothers returned to civilian production in 1916, the same year they began exporting cars to Australia, the first local dealership being S.A.Cheney in South Australia. The Dodge's ability to withstand our punishing roads soon gave it a favourable reputation and before long agencies had sprung up in every state. For 1923, Dodge introduced an all-steel sedan, a major innovation that confirmed their innovative status amongst the big American manufacturers. Powering the 1923 Dodge was an L-head four-cylinder engine mated to a three-speed gearbox with floor-change. Braking was on the rear wheels only but Dodge trumpeted their use of quick action brakes with larger than normal 14-inch drums to provide superior stopping power.