Lot 119: Dodge Coronet 2 Door Hard Top

The roots of Dodge go back all the way to the bicycle, when John Francis Dodge and Horace Elgin Dodge moved their bicycle and machine factory to Detroit, MI from Windsor, Ontario. Their parts were in high demand for new automobiles, and they immediately started making parts for Oldsmobile as soon as they were moved. The Dodge brothers helped finance the Ford Motor Company in 1902, and through 1913 almost all running parts of a Ford were built by the Dodge Brothers. In 1914 the brothers created their own company, named the Dodge Brothers Motor Vehicle Company, and built 249 cars that first year and in 1917 they started building trucks. The timing was perfect, because the US Army adopted Dodge trucks during the Great War, which established them, and the continued to sell well commercially. In 1925 Dillon, Read and Company bought the company from the Dodge brothers, for $148 million in cash, the largest known cash transaction until that point in history. The investment bank then sold the Dodge Motor Company to Chrysler in 1928, where it flourished. Offered here is a Dodge example of a 60's muscle car, which is based on a simple saloon. The Coronet could be had in various guises but the 440R/T was probably the most brutal and fastest of the bunch. This VIP 2 Door Hard Top has the 440 R/T specification, with the additional option of power steering and automatic, Torqueflite transmission. Offered in both hardtop and convertible form, the standard R/T featured a 440 cubic inch (7.2L) V-8 power plant, heavy-duty suspension, beefier brakes, larger tyres, and R/T badging. The claimed power output was 375bhp with a standard, four barrel, Carter carburettor. Finished in metallic pewter with black interior, the car has benefited from an extended restoration and mechanical upgrades and is offered complete with bills, invoices, and original build sheet and various other paperwork. This is a rare and collectable piece of American Motoring History and has benefited from many upgrades, details of which can be found in the history file.