November 14, 2019  

The Dodge Brothers First Car

First Dodge car

Horace Dodge (left, rear) and John Dodge (right, rear) take delivery of the first Dodge automobile on Nov. 14, 1914.

One hundred and five years ago on this date –November 14, 1914 — the very first Dodge car, “Old Betsy”, rolled off the assembly line. On that day, the Dodge Brothers (Horace and John) were photographed riding in the rear seat of the first car to bear their last name. It cost $785, had a 110-inch wheelbase, and was powered by an L-head 4-cylinder engine that proved so reliable it was continued until 1920 with very little modification. Total production for 1914 was a mere 249 touring cars. The following year. Dodge offered a two-passenger roadster which also sold for $785 and the plant went into full production.

According to “The Dodge Brothers: The Men, the Motor Cars, and the Legacy” by Charles K. Hyde, here’s the full story:

The widely accepted history of the initial production of early Dodge Brothers automobiles in November 1914 is at odds with much of the evidence about the earliest Dodge Brothers cars. Automotive historians have thought that the first production car, later named “Old Betsy,” came off the assembly line at the Hamtramck factory on 14 November 1914. Guy Ameel, superintendent of final assembly for Dodge Brothers since the start of automobile production, served as John and Horace’s chauffeur that day. With the brothers in the back seat, Ameel stopped the first Dodge Brothers car in front of John Dodge’s mansion on Boston Boulevard in Detroit and a photographer recorded this important moment.

“Old Betsy” was more likely an experimental prototype car assembled several months before 14 November 1914 and not a production car at all…

Horace and John Dodge

The Dodge Brothers

The Dodge Brothers began an aggressive advertising campaign to promote their new automobiles and to attract potential dealers to sell their cars. Few people jumped onto the Dodge Brothers bandwagon earlier than Lewis Reed, and not many have lasted longer.

Lewis Reed received his franchise to sell Dodge Brothers Motor Cars from John and Horace Dodge; less than one year after the first Dodge Model-30 rolled off the assembly line for $785. He was just 27 years old. Since then, the business grew and transformed into the oldest Dodge dealership in Maryland history and one of the oldest in the entire nation.

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About Reed Brothers

I am a co-owner of the former Reed Brothers Dodge in Rockville, Maryland. Lewis Reed, the founder of Reed Brothers Dodge was my grandfather. We were a family-owned and operated car dealership in Rockville for almost a century. I served in the United States Air Force for 30 years before retiring in the top enlisted grade of Chief Master Sergeant in July 2006. In 2016, I received the Arthur M. Wagman Award for Historic Preservation Communication from Peerless Rockville for documenting the history of Reed Brothers Dodge in both blog and book format. This distinguished honor recognizes outstanding achievement by writers, educators, and historians whose work has heightened public awareness of Rockville’s architectural and cultural heritage, growth and development.

4 responses to “The Dodge Brothers First Car”

  1. Ronald Ray Mulhern's avatar
    Ronald Ray Mulhern says :

    My name is Ronald (Ron) Ray Mulhern. With my Father Thomas (Bill) William Mulhern we attended an Estate Auction in Winterset (Madison County) Iowa in June 1959. My 15th birthday was two months earlier (April 24, 1959). We lived 24 miles to the West in Greenfield Iowa. The auction was just one block to the West of the birth home of Marion Morrison (John Wayne).

    There were approximately 25 automobiles offered that day. We decided we could possibly afford a 1916 Dodge Brothers being successful with a bid of about $346. The receipt is in my records.

    Jimmy Stewart’s movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” with Donna Reed (Very good Iowa girl) with the 1919 DB hitting the tree to General Pershing conducting the 1st mechanized assault and “catching Poncho Via” to the recent 250 years parade of the U.S. Army displaying a DB I have had a very “fun life” re. the stories of the DB automobiles!

    Presently the automobile is in my back yard all these 66 years later giving rides to neighbors and friends! My Father and Mother have an engraving on “their gravestone” of our DB.

    Also, of interest as to the Estate Auction is that a collection of a license plate for every State for every year (until 1959) was on display!

    Reply
    • Reed Brothers's avatar
      Reed Brothers says :

      Thank you so much for sharing this incredible story, Ron! What a rich and meaningful history you have with your Dodge Brothers automobile; from that unforgettable auction day in 1959 to all the years of memories that followed. It’s amazing to hear that the car is still with you, still bringing joy to friends and neighbors after all these years. The engraving on your parents’ gravestone is such a touching tribute to the role the DB played in your family’s life. Thank you again for sharing… stories like yours truly bring history to life!

      Best Regards,
      Jeanne

      Reply
  2. Ronald Ray Mulhern's avatar
    Ronald Ray Mulhern says :

    Was anyone else amazed re. the reverse “H” pattern shift so you good get your girl over next to you when in 3rd gear like I have been? !!!

    Reply
    • Reed Brothers's avatar
      Reed Brothers says :

      Hi Ron, It’s little quirks like that that give those old cars so much character. I appreciate you stopping by and leaving such a great memory!

      Best Regards,
      Jeanne

      Reply

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