John Francis Dodge (1864-1920) was an American automobile manufacturing pioneer who, with his younger brother Horace, founded the Dodge Brothers Company in Detroit in 1900, first as a machine shop supplying parts and engines to Ransom Olds and Henry Ford before the brothers began building their own automobiles under the Dodge name in 1914. Born in Niles, Michigan, John Dodge was generally the business and sales minded partner while Horace focused on engineering. The company they built became a major American automaker and the direct ancestor of the present day Dodge brand. He died in New York City in January 1920 during the influenza pandemic, at age fifty five, only months before his brother Horace also died.
Facts
FAQs
Why did the Dodge brothers move away from Ford to build their own car?
They wanted to distance themselves from Ford and build a car of their own.
As Henry Ford expanded his manufacturing capabilities, John and Horace Dodge began looking to distance themselves from Ford and build their own car. On July 17, 1914, they took their company public, selling 5 million dollars in common stock.
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Sources
1. John Francis Dodge (Wikipedia)
Lead, birth/death parenthetical
1864-1920
Lead, opening sentence
American automobile manufacturing pioneer
In Group: Automobile Company Founders and Executives, Lead sentence
John Francis Dodge (October 25, 1864, January 14, 1920) was an American automobile manufacturing pioneer and co-founder of Dodge Brothers Company.
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