Dodge Logo PNG
Cold metal and passion for racing united the Dodge logo. The emblem demonstrates the elegance and fluidity of body lines, combined with the ease of operation and high performance of the company’s vehicles.
John and Horace Dodge, born in Niles, Michigan, entered Detroit’s auto industry as mechanics. In 1897, they founded Evans & Dodge Bicycle with Fred Evans, then left bicycles for machine work. In 1900, they opened a shop in Detroit. By 1902, they were supplying engines and transmissions to Oldsmobile and Northern. Their turning point came in 1903, when they accepted a contract with the Ford Motor Company, borrowed $75,000 for tooling, and took a 10 percent stake in Ford stock.
In 1910, they built the 24-acre Dodge Main plant in Hamtramck, producing major Ford components while Ford dividends made them wealthy. On November 14, 1914, the first Dodge Brothers Model 30-35 left the line. Priced at $785, it had an all-steel body, a 12-volt electrical system, and an electric starter. In 1915, Dodge sold over 45,000 cars and ranked third among U.S. automakers in its first full year of operation.
During World War I, Dodge produced military trucks, gun carriages, and recoil systems. By 1919, it had built its 400,000th car, and Ford bought back the brothers’ shares for $25 million. Both founders died in 1920. Their widows sold Dodge Brothers to Dillon, Read & Co. in 1925 for $146 million. On July 30, 1928, Walter Chrysler bought Dodge Brothers for $170 million and brought the brand into the Chrysler Corporation.
Later milestones included the HEMI engine in 1953, the Caravan minivan in 1984, and the V10 Dodge Viper in 1992. After Daimler-Benz, Cerberus, Fiat, and the 2021 merger with Stellantis, Dodge remained a major American car name.
Meaning and History
The Dodge brand had many different logos. They were used on the radiator grilles and varied by car model. Over the past hundred years, many icons have fallen out of use. These include, for example, the Dodge family crest, which first appeared on the hood of a sedan in 1946. The most popular of the old symbols – the head of a mountain goat was created based on the hood mascot of 1951. However, the company has abandoned the traditional design in favor of a simple wordmark.
What is Dodge?
Dodge is an automotive brand that emerged in 1900 and has frequently changed hands, ultimately becoming part of the American corporation Stellantis. It produces sports cars, pickups, SUVs, crossovers, and sedans in various price categories. These are fast and powerful vehicles, popular in the U.S. and abroad. The most famous models include the Ram, Durango, Challenger, Charger, and others.
1910 – 1914
The original logo looked like a round car detail. Inside was a monogram of the letters “D” and “B,” representing the Dodge Brothers’ name.
1914 – 1928
In 1914, the company began mass-producing passenger cars and switched to a new emblem. The main element is a six-pointed star made of two intersecting triangles. The geometric figure was set against the globe’s background, intended to convey Dodge’s worldwide fame. The map was surrounded by a black ring that said DODGE BROTHERS MOTOR VEHICLES. A modified “DB” monogram has been placed in the star’s center.
1928 – 1955
When the word “Brothers” was dropped from the names of trucks and cars, the company adopted a logo with black lettering “DODGE.” The designers used a bold rectangular font with rounded sides.
1955 – 1962
In 1955, the Forward Look debuted. Simultaneously, the world saw the new Dodge emblem, which Virgil Exner developed. It consisted of two multi-colored boomerangs (black and red) superimposed. The badge symbolized development, movement, and technological progress. The Chrysler Corporation produced rockets for the space program, so it was associated with rocket propulsion systems.
1962 – 1968
The first Custom 880 and Polara 500 cars, produced in 1962, featured the Fratzog logo in a stylized triangular shape. The symbol looked like three arrowheads stacked together, each pointing in a different direction. The designer wanted to depict the hub’s center and the steering wheel. He came up with the name Fratzog himself at the management’s request, which means nothing.
1964 – 1993
For several decades, a red wordmark in bold italics has been used. The font resembled Plymouth, and the moderate slope conveyed speed.
1969 – 1993
The Pentastar emblem, a pentagonal figure with a narrow five-pointed star at its center, was added to the inscription. Lippincott & Margulies studio developed it specifically for Chrysler. Only Chrysler had this symbol in blue, while Dodge had it in red.
1993 – 2010
In 1993, the company began using the ram’s head logo. It was an interpretation of the old Dodge badge: the jumping ram mascot appeared on cars as early as 1932, and by 1951, only its head remained. Then they forgot about him for a long time. When the classic symbol returned, the designers depicted a long-horned argali within a white shield outlined in red, placing black “DODGE” lettering at the bottom.
2010 – today
In 2010, Chrysler spun off the Ram truck line into a separate company and gave it the Ram’s head logo. For Dodge, advertising agency Wieden & Kennedy has developed a new sign: a silver lettering with two red diagonal stripes at the end. Double slanting lines symbolized agility and speed and personified the brand’s sporty character.
Font and Colors
The most talked-about Dodge emblem is the 1914 six-pointed star. There are many versions of the story of how Horace and John chose this particular symbol. According to one legend, the brand owners used the Jewish Star of David sign to anger their rival, the anti-Semite Henry Ford. Other sources claim they were friends with Ford and did not intend to anger him. Also, the brothers were not very religious and attended the Presbyterian church.
There were also rumors that the company’s founders borrowed money from Jewish bankers, so they were forced to put the Star of David logo on it. But carmaker Dodge Brothers never took out loans. According to other assumptions, the hexagram represented Solomon’s Seal and personified the union of brothers. In this case, the black triangle represented the body and the white one the soul.
According to Chrysler, the hex star consisted of two Greek letters, delta, symbolizing engineering excellence. Some claimed it was copied from a Dodge City police badge because Horace Dodge liked communicating with local law enforcement. In any case, Horace and John did not have time to confirm or deny any versions during their lifetime.
The creators of the current logo used a custom bold sans serif for the company name. The main colors are red, white, and gray in several shades.