ALT-4 An Introduction to Dodge Trucks
Even though the Dodge brothers (John and Horace), first automobile appeared in 1914, and they built their first panel van around World War I, it wasn't until after their death that the Graham brothers started selling 1.5 ton pickup trucks through Dodge dealers. These trucks that appeared around 1921, had the Grahams bodies and the Dodge parts. In 1929, Dodge introduced a half-ton pick truck. At this time the trucks had a standard safety feature that no other brand had and that was the four wheel hydraulic brakes. In 1935, the standard pick-up was 1.5 ton. Dodge increased this range by selling 3/4 ton and one ton trucks. In 1936, a fore-point (cab forward) series was introduced. The front axles were moved forward so that the truck could carry more weight. A complete redesign was made on the Ford Truck in 1939. At this time, Dodge was also making their first diesel truck using their own diesel fuel.
The Dodge truck took on many changes over the years to improve overall physical appearance and performance. In 1961, the Crew Cab truck was introduced. In 1965, the Dodge truck took on many physical changes such as single headlights, more stylish tail lights, larger front grille, interior accents, double walled bed, and stylist door handles. Still in 1968, more physical changes gave the truck a more modern look.
The Dodge Ram is one of the best selling trucks in the world. Along with this truck and other dodge trucks, the Dodge truck is known for its high performance engine, fuel saving features like MDS, large cabin space (the mega cab), large hauling and towing capabilities with a transmission that can handle the load, high performance headers and exhaust systems, and high ratings for safety performance. When you think of Dodge truck, you think of the word "dependability."
To help in the fight for conservation, in 2004, Dodge introduced a "mild hybrid version of the full size Ram pickup truck. This version (mild hybrid) uses an integrated starter generator that will shut the gas engine off at stoplights. This hybrid version will reduce gas consumption by 15 percent.
