If ever an automotive brand personifies the men who created it, then Dodge is that brand.

The men were John and Horace Dodge. They first built bicycles and piecework components for the budding auto industry, and then turned to producing transmissions for Olds Motor Works and engines for Henry Ford’s young company. By 1914 they founded their own company – Dodge Brothers – and before long, their cars and trucks earned a reputation for ruggedness and dependability. At each step, the two-fisted brothers played as hard as they worked, and lived life to the fullest.

That get-it-done spirit continues in today’s Dodge vehicles, a lineup that includes cars, trucks, the world’s best-selling minivan, sport-utility vehicles and commercial vehicles.

“As Chrysler Group’s best-selling brand and the fifth largest nameplate in America, Dodge produces a wide range of vehicles that help consumers do more,” said Michael Accavitti, Director – Dodge Brand and SRT Marketing and Communications.

The all-new 2008 Dodge Avenger – with the brand’s signature crosshair grille, muscular rear shoulders, large wheels and tires, sleek spoiler and chrome-tipped dual exhaust outlets – epitomizes Dodge styling. It is a look that is sporty and athletic, and adheres to the bold styling of the Viper, Charger, Magnum, Ram, Dakota and Durango.

Meanwhile, the Dodge Caliber and Dodge Nitro prove that swagger and street-smarts are not just for the heavy hitters. Caliber stands out from its compact competitors because of its highly sculpted fender forms and sporty, coupe-like profile. And the Nitro’s bold, aggressive styling adds some much-needed spice to the mid-size SUV segment.

In the commercial market the all-new 2008 Ram 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cabs and all-new 2007 Sprinter personify the brand’s core values: bold, powerful and capable.

HEMI® engines, SRT models and NASCAR racing are core to Dodge, but the brand does not live by power and performance alone. Product innovations and first-of-their-kind features are also in Dodge’s DNA: Dodge Brothers, for example, built the world’s first mass-produced all-steel cars. Among current examples are the:
• Load ’N Go cargo floor of the Nitro
• Chill Zone™ storage compartment and a heated/cooled front cup holder of the Avenger and Caliber
• Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV) designation for the Ram 1500, Dakota and Durango, providing customers the option to use E85 ethanol fuel
• Hill Start Assist on Ram
• Trailer Sway Control on Durango and Ram 1500
• Fuel-saving 1.8-, 2.0- and 2.4-liter World Engines available on Caliber
• 6.7-liter Cummins turbodiesel engine, the cleanest and best-performing heavy-duty pickup truck in the market, on Mega Cab and Ram Heavy Duty
Residing at the practical end of the Dodge brand spectrum is the all-new 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan. It is the family room on wheels, with the right ingredients to accommodate any active lifestyle and safety features from stem to stern, from Electronic Stability Program (ESP) with traction control and Brake Assist, to all-row supplemental side-curtain air bags, to ParkSense® Rear Park Assist System.
And when it comes to innovations and features, the Dodge Grand Caravan is unsurpassed. The Swivel ’n Go™ seating system of the Dodge Grand Caravan is one of 35 new and improved features on the Chrysler Group’s fifth generation minivan. The vehicle also is among the first Chrysler Group products to offer SIRIUS Backseat TV™ — live TV programming from Nickelodeon, Disney Channel and Cartoon Network.
The all-new exterior of the Dodge Grand Caravan is contemporary and sportier than the previous model; the crosshair grille places it firmly in the Dodge family; and three powertrains and a minivan-first six-speed transaxle will help to maintain the vehicle’s leadership position in the market.

Dodge recorded global sales of 1.3 million vehicles in 2006. International sales jumped 125 percent, from 13,983 units in 2005 to 31,411 units in 2006. Dodge vehicles are spearheading the Chrysler Group’s expansion into international markets in 2007, led by Caliber, Avenger, Nitro and Caliber SRT4. The company announced this spring that the Dodge Caravan will be the first Dodge vehicle to be built in China. Sales are scheduled to start there toward the end of 2007. Additionally, the Dodge Caliber will be the first imported Dodge vehicle available to customers in China, beginning in the first quarter of 2008.