1920 Dodge Brothers

Make/Model: Dodge Brothers Model 30 Roadster
Year: 1920
Owner: Dick Wagner
Original Price: $1,250

About the Dodge

John and Horace Dodge founded the Dodge Brothers Company in 1900. They produced precision components for car engines and chassis. The main customers were Ford Motor Company and Olds Motor Company. The company was known for its high-quality components and was very successful as parts suppliers.

In 1914, Horace Dodge designed and built the Model 30. The Model 30 was powered by a 3.4-liter inline four-cylinder L-Head engine that produced 30-35 horsepower. The engine was paired with a 3-speed manual sliding gear transmission which was revolutionary at the time. The car had an all-steel body when most of the industry was using steel panels with wooden frames. Another innovation was the 12-volt starter-generator when 6-volt (with an optional starter) was the industry standard.

The Model 30 was very successful and by 1920 was the second-best selling car behind the Ford Model T. This 1920 Roadster was sold new to a farmer in Tekonsha, Michigan. In 1958 it was purchased by another farmer that lived on the same road. The car was repainted and returned to running condition. After this restoration, pictures were taken of the new owners and of the original owner posing with the car. In 2020, I purchased the car from the family of the second owner, making me the third owner of a 100-year-old car! The running gear was completely disassembled, cleaned, and repainted, but it still wears the 1958 paint on the body. It is a low mileage car, retaining almost all the original components, including the cast-iron pistons.

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