TAXI ! TAXI !

[R.White]

This advertisement attracted my attention because the Dodge Brothers Taxi was in use around Lancashire which is a hilly area similar in some ways to where I live in Derbyshire.

Note the practice of 'taking up' the big ends. This would have been more my Grandfather's experience. My Dad would not countenance such an "old school" practice.....(it works for me!)

1922 Adair Vauxhall Motor Car Wolseley Ullswater Dodge Brothers | eBay

Ray.

[1930]

I have lots of D.B taxi pictures if that interests you Ray, later 20 stuff but very well detailed photos from some salesmans book

I enjoy looking at them because they were really pushing the sale by the interior shots

[R.White]

Yes, Jason, I like the whole picture of early transport and taxis are just as important a part of that scene as private cars and commercials. Unlike in your country, I think it would be most unusual for a car to be bought as a new car for taxi use over here; which is why in the 'twenties you would often have found them using what would have originally been very expensive cars for taxi work. As you probably know there are some very knowledgeable people in the whole other world of taxi history but that shouldn't stop us from enjoying what we can find out for ourselves, should it?

It would be great to see some of those photos of yours.

Ray.

[1930]

Did you see the latest King Kong movie, the taxi in the beginning was a D.B.

Will post some photos in a bit

[1930]

Hello Ray, as you may already know contrary to popular belief ( in my opinion ) D.B did not seem to have a problem with spending money on advertising during the mid to later half of the 20s.

They gave their salesmen the ammunition needed to make a sale by supplying them with the necessary literature to show off their products.

During the mid to late 20 ( I am pretty sure it was there from beginning ( almost ) but I don't have a definitive date yet on when the division started ) there was a special equipment division within D.B that dealt with selling items outside of the vocational sales networks.

In some cases these vehicles and supplies were manufactured by Dodge Brothers or Graham Brothers and in many cases they were not such as these Shamrock taxis.

Warranty was specific within these books on how issues would be dealt with and assurance was given that D.B representatives were looking at these companies to ensure their work met the quality condition of D.B corporation.

Vehicles such as these taxicabs, special purpose trucks, special purpose equipment for your D.B was sold thru this special equipment department.

Corporate office supplied their dealers and( associate dealers ( in many cases )( but not always ) with literature enclosed within extravagant binders or pamphlets of a rich texture or glossy nature that nearly sold the vehicle before the customer would even have a chance to look at the details of the vehicles.

Actually this was common practice back in this day so as you prob. understand sales were still hard to make in many cases. But back then less of a notice of profit loss was taken into account as it is today with advertising.

Salesmen didn't have to hide or be ashamed of what they were selling when they were selling a Dodge product. ( unlike todays rubbish)

The sheets were sent to dealers as new models and new accessories added too or replaced older units and the instructions were too as usual rip out the old and destroy it but if the sheet were lucky it would get moved to a different portion of the catalog more toward the back until it was finally completely out-dated and destroyed. ( unless you had some nut of a salesperson like I would have been back then and you decided to just keep them within your sales book since heck the little guy wasn't hurting anything sitting there.

Also noteworthy in my opinion would be that the accessories portion of the catalogs and the vehicles they were represented on did not always reflect the current model year vehicle, if it was the accessory that was being pushed and the accessory was still as popular in 1928 as it was in 1926 you would see the accessory displayed on the 1926 vehicle as an example because it was the accessory that was too be focused on not the vehicle.

This can be seen by studying the update or correction sheets.

After 1928 as far as I have noticed much of this extra spending was eliminated, the books were downsized and much less detailed, I guess Chrysler felt that the salesman could sell the car with the car and all the fancy pictures were not needed and this is where we see the Dealers sales and ammunition booklets come into play.

They were intended for the most part for the dealer and although there were separate literature sheets issued and available as well in my opinion the advertising for D.B vehicles lost some of its magic.

I hope everyone enjoys these few pages, many more I can scan and post if there is more of an interest.

I also have the spec sheets for all of these as well which show how the bodies were constructed and materials used if that is on interest.

These taxicabs sheets I guess from roughly 25 to maybe 30. I did not realize I had these this early but stumbled upon them whilst looking for some other info and I thought you might be more interested in these since they pertain more to your own car Ray.

[1930]

I mentioned accessories in the above post and just as an example here are some offerings from the Millspaugh and Irish Corp, I would be very interested in anything anyone has to offer concerning their own year car.

Lots of un-answered questions such as when exactly did Chrysler or D.B stop offering accessories that could or would have been ordered directly from that outside source and yet shipped to the local D.B dealer where the initial order was placed as an example.

I would like to see some later year accessories being offered for your D.B car or truck. Anything to add would be appreciated.

[R.White]

This is exceptionally interesting, Jason. There are a lot of facts to take in. Firstly, I am sure you are right about spending on advertising in the mid 'twenties - just look at some of the original brochures ! I think it could possibly reflect trends within the motor industry at the time; perhaps the product would have been recieved more at face value - before the buying public had become "sophisticated". I will speak to a motor industry historian friend of mine to get his take on it. Perhaps Chrysler bean counters just saw the salesmens books as something else they could save money on. (Do you know if advertising was cut further or was it seen as necessary for survival after the Wall Street Crash in '29? )

I was especially interested to learn about the special equipment division. I can't recall Hyde mentioning it in his book but I may have forgotten if he did. Do you know how many people were employed? The brothers went to great lengths to introduce a non - discriminatory employment policy and this could have been seen as suitable work for female staff - but again, I have no information to hand but you will probably be better informed.

Those photos of the Shamrock Taxis are beautifully detailed. I can imaging that the originals are superb. I am surprised that they were offering an 'open drive' limousine - you will have noticed there are no windows (or side screens) for driver protection! The 3 door, though, with reversible option, I can imagine would have been a hit.

Did you know that our Government introduced import controls because it was so worried about the effect American car manufacturers were having on the home market. Obviously, Ford but also Dodge and some others including the Scripps Booth - which you don't hear much about these days. London Taxis were originally Unic but Crossley supplied many in the 'twenties as did Austin - but Dodge would probably been expensive; given the Horse Power tax and import duties. I really need to investigate the subject more to establish hard facts.

Jason, if you have information on the construction of touring bodies in the mid 'twenties, I will be able to compare it with the Australian body fitted to my car. The two methods are completely different but it would be interesting all the same.

Thanks,

Ray.

[1930]

This is exceptionally interesting, Jason. There are a lot of facts to take in. Firstly, I am sure you are right about spending on advertising in the mid 'twenties - just look at some of the original brochures ! I think it could possibly reflect trends within the motor industry at the time; perhaps the product would have been recieved more at face value - before the buying public had become "sophisticated". I will speak to a motor industry historian friend of mine to get his take on it. Perhaps Chrysler bean counters just saw the salesmens books as something else they could save money on. (Do you know if advertising was cut further or was it seen as necessary for survival after the Wall Street Crash in '29? )

I was especially interested to learn about the special equipment division. I can't recall Hyde mentioning it in his book but I may have forgotten if he did. Do you know how many people were employed? The brothers went to great lengths to introduce a non - discriminatory employment policy and this could have been seen as suitable work for female staff - but again, I have no information to hand but you will probably be better informed.

Those photos of the Shamrock Taxis are beautifully detailed. I can imaging that the originals are superb. I am surprised that they were offering an 'open drive' limousine - you will have noticed there are no windows (or side screens) for driver protection! The 3 door, though, with reversible option, I can imagine would have been a hit.

Did you know that our Government introduced import controls because it was so worried about the effect American car manufacturers were having on the home market. Obviously, Ford but also Dodge and some others including the Scripps Booth - which you don't hear much about these days. London Taxis were originally Unic but Crossley supplied many in the 'twenties as did Austin - but Dodge would probably been expensive; given the Horse Power tax and import duties. I really need to investigate the subject more to establish hard facts.

Jason, if you have information on the construction of touring bodies in the mid 'twenties, I will be able to compare it with the Australian body fitted to my car. The two methods are completely different but it would be interesting all the same.

Thanks,

Ray.

In my opinion the original brochures issued to the public were pretty sparse when compared to the later brochures after Chrysler came into ownership, in my opinion the salesman were issued the finer goods pre-Chrysler and then a flip flop later.
I believe and I guess its well accepted that Chrysler was floundering big time directly after the purchase and that is why there is such a mess of literature that we see.

Evidently even during the depression years and shortly thereafter there was still profit too be had though and it was not quite as bad as it seemed according to company reports that were issued.

You wont find alot of this stuff in books because often time the authors really are not intimately involved with the subject they are wring about but instead are interested in just a facet of the subject and need to expand what they are writing about too make it worth publishing.

The 3 drs evidently were popular in large cities such as New York and was actually mandated there by the people that write the guidelines for the use of how public transportation vehicles were to be equipped.

I dont think I have anything for construction of touring bodies mid twenties Dodge Brothers as far as dimensional drawings that would be specific to that car but if I run across anything will let you know

[1930]

Hello Ray and D-2, I thought you guys might enjoy these taxis, might be the kind of taxis you dont want to call upon though unless you really have no choice in the matter.

I have included the specs pages for you Ray since you showed an interest in the body composition.

I do not know if these are appropriate for your recent photo inquires D-2, chances are these particular cars will never be seen but they do share the sheetmetal of the autos so if you would like I would be more than happy to move these photos over there and continue to add to these.

These are my photos from my book that I purchased from a swap meet years ago so I am not hurting anyone by posting them there.

I guess you prob. would not be interested in them though because some of them are renderings and not actual photos, I will say however that the drawings are very accurate so maybe consider it since with these earlier cars this was in many cases what you got when it came to advertising.

Again I can show anyone interested how these particular ambulances/ hearse cars evolved from approx 1925 to 1928, just say the word ( not much )

Just for fun, can anyone guess the year and why.

[1930]

Here are a couple more Ray, I believe you like myself have background in cabinetmaking so I know you would appreciate these.

[1930]

I would like more information on this............I was especially interested to learn about the special equipment division............( so am I ) and this................ The brothers went to great lengths to introduce a non - discriminatory employment policy and this could have been seen as suitable work for female staff...........Maybe you can add to this, these little bits and pieces/fact finding missions are in my opinion what make the hobby fun.

[R.White]

I am grateful to you, Jason, for posting those pictures of exposed coachwork. I will need to study them.

Can I briefly say that I was indeed incorrect about the quality of brochures issued prior to the Chrysler period. I know very little about the subject of Dodge Brothers marketing and I must try to learn more about it.

I am afraid that I have nothing new to add to what has already been written about the history of the Dodge Brothers. With respect to the Brothers' employment practices; the only information I have to hand is what I have gleaned essentially from chapter five of the C.H. Hyde book.; for example (p.128)
" Dodge Brothers was, along with Ford, one of the first Detroit auto companies to hire African American workers....." then again (page 130) " We do not know the exact number of African American employees at Dodge Brothers in 1919-1920. If Dodge followed the practices of Ford, the only other Detroit automaker to employ African Americans, most of these minority workers held the most difficult and dangerous jobs at the factory, usually in the foundries or paint shops"

With regard to female workers...
"No detailed payroll records have survived but some intriguing photographs have survived. A 1920 booklet on the Dodge Brothers plant includes a photograph of the upholstery department staffed entirely by men but also a section of the trim shop with an all female workforce at sewing machines, with female supervisors. The only other photographic evidence of women working at Dodge Brothers shows a group of (mostly) female employees in front of the office building in the early 1920's, presumably clerks, stenographers and bookkeepers. BY the 1930s, women also commonly worked in the wiring department preparing wiring harnesses, but there is no evidence that this was the case in the late 1910s or early 1920s"

From a British perspective, I find the way that the Brothers dealt with class prejudice to be quite refreshing. At first shunned by polite society, they simply bought their way to the top! I like that!

A great read for anyone with an interest in the subject "The Dodge Brothers - the men, the motor cars and the legacy", I would recommend it.

Jason, I believe you have a copy. I would be interested if there is any literature worth seeking out appertaining to English assembled vehicles from the 1920's. We know that coachwork was supplied by Mulliners (eg. Richard's race car transporter/ military lorry) however, I have yet to find a single survivor of the cars from the 1920s although I do know of three Kew assembled cars from the 1930s.

Ray.

[1930]

Sorry, I know next to nothing about English bodied cars, a good manual for diagrams however and repair ect of composite bodies would be an early Fisher body manual. I used to have one but cannot seem to find it now

[1930]

I am grateful to you, Jason, for posting those pictures of exposed coachwork. I will need to study them.

Can I briefly say that I was indeed incorrect about the quality of brochures issued prior to the Chrysler period. I know very little about the subject of Dodge Brothers marketing and I must try to learn more about it.

I am afraid that I have nothing new to add to what has already been written about the history of the Dodge Brothers. With respect to the Brothers' employment practices; the only information I have to hand is what I have gleaned essentially from chapter five of the C.H. Hyde book.; for example (p.128)
" Dodge Brothers was, along with Ford, one of the first Detroit auto companies to hire African American workers....." then again (page 130) " We do not know the exact number of African American employees at Dodge Brothers in 1919-1920. If Dodge followed the practices of Ford, the only other Detroit automaker to employ African Americans, most of these minority workers held the most difficult and dangerous jobs at the factory, usually in the foundries or paint shops"

With regard to female workers...
"No detailed payroll records have survived but some intriguing photographs have survived. A 1920 booklet on the Dodge Brothers plant includes a photograph of the upholstery department staffed entirely by men but also a section of the trim shop with an all female workforce at sewing machines, with female supervisors. The only other photographic evidence of women working at Dodge Brothers shows a group of (mostly) female employees in front of the office building in the early 1920's, presumably clerks, stenographers and bookkeepers. BY the 1930s, women also commonly worked in the wiring department preparing wiring harnesses, but there is no evidence that this was the case in the late 1910s or early 1920s"

From a British perspective, I find the way that the Brothers dealt with class prejudice to be quite refreshing. At first shunned by polite society, they simply bought their way to the top! I like that!

A great read for anyone with an interest in the subject "The Dodge Brothers - the men, the motor cars and the legacy", I would recommend it.

Jason, I believe you have a copy. I would be interested if there is any literature worth seeking out appertaining to English assembled vehicles from the 1920's. We know that coachwork was supplied by Mulliners (eg. Richard's race car transporter/ military lorry) however, I have yet to find a single survivor of the cars from the 1920s although I do know of three Kew assembled cars from the 1930s.

Ray.

BTW early Dodge Brother advertising stressed WITHIN their adds that there was no need for fancy words ( the automobiles spoke for themselves was I believe a quote in one of them at least ) so very little text within a bunch of black and white photos

[R.White]

I think compared to Ford, they had a point. You would probably only had to test drive a Dodge Brothers car and if you were in the market for a new car, it would probably have made a good impression.

These days, you have to try to ignore the little salesman prattling on or you will end up with something that you wish you hadn't bought.

Ray.

[1936 D2]

...I do not know if these are appropriate for your recent photo inquires D-2, chances are these particular cars will never be seen but they do share the sheetmetal of the autos so if you would like I would be more than happy to move these photos over there and continue to add to these....
...I guess you prob. would not be interested in them though because some of them are renderings and not actual photos, I will say however that the drawings are very accurate so maybe consider it since with these earlier cars this was in many cases what you got when it came to advertising....
...Again I can show anyone interested how these particular ambulances/ hearse cars evolved from approx 1925 to 1928, just say the word....

Yes they are. These early cars have very few "factory photos" published. Most were these highly skilled drawings. It is about the best we can do other than hoping for people coming out with photos taken of their family's cars the first week they had them!
I am also interested in trucks and "commercial cars", whatever you have. It all may be important some day for someone.
If you would Jason, please post what you have in the correct vehicle's thread. I realize this may take some time but the beginning stuff is already done. Just add a post of the images/data you have on the correct vehicle's thread.
Thanks!

[1930]

Yes they are. These early cars have very few "factory photos" published. Most were these highly skilled drawings. It is about the best we can do other than hoping for people coming out with photos taken of their family's cars the first week they had them!
I am also interested in trucks and "commercial cars", whatever you have. It all may be important some day for someone.
If you would Jason, please post what you have in the correct vehicle's thread. I realize this may take some time but the beginning stuff is already done. Just add a post of the images/data you have on the correct vehicle's thread.
Thanks!

I will move them over than no problem, will try and do it tonight, I had two teeth removed today so Im pretty out of it at this point.

[R.White]

You never see a poor dentist !

[1936 D2]

Nitrous Oxide. Good for cars AND people!

[R.White]

You can't get a better 'greenhouse' gas.

Never touch the stuff myself.

Ray.