1938 Dodge 1.5 Tonne Truck (Project)

Description

Having made their fortune as a supplier of engines and transmissions, John and Horace Dodge began building automobiles of their own in 1914 and the announcement of the new automaker was greeted with enthusiasm by the press and public alike. Almost from the very beginning Dodge began offering light commercials and the company supplied thousands of military vehicles to the US Army during the First World War, including troop carriers and ambulances. Throughout the 1920s Dodge sold rebadged Graham trucks through their dealer network but the takeover by Walter P Chrysler on June 1, 1928 saw the first proper Dodge Brothers designed and built half-ton truck offered in 1929. Despite the lingering impact of the Great Depression, sales began to take off in the 1930s and an all new model was announced for 1936, with ?fore-point? load distribution that was a precursor to the ?Cab Forward? style popular today, with the front axle, engine and cab moved forward to carry more payload weight, along with better stability and attractive styling. By 1938 the model line-up ranged from ½ through to 3-ton ratings, with all Dodge trucks powered by a sturdy in-line six, the bigger RD models using a 218-cid capacity unit. Dodge always enjoyed a strong reputation for building high quality trucks with excellent durability but few pre-war examples have survived the rigours of time, making the unrestored example on offer here both rare and very collectible.