1929 Dodge DA

Dodge DA Repairs

Now that our 1929 Dodge DA has been registered with the DVLA and is ready to be used on UK roads, classic car technician Brian

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Transporting A Rare Classic

Our very special and very rare 1929 Dodge DA has recently been transported to our secure storage facility and placed safely into a Carcoon.

H&H Classic Auction set up day at Duxford

What an incredibly exciting start to the week this week at Bridge Classic Cars HQ. Tony set up bright and early to delivery our first car, the Dodge DA to Duxford for this weeks H&H Classic Auctions.

Then it was a return to the workshops to pick up car number two, our Vauxhall Wingham to get that safely over to Duxford too.

Meanwhile I joined Molly and nick over at Duxford to record this week Torque Show. We caught up with Paul from H&H Classic Auctions and had a little wander around the aircrafts. The full episode will be out later this week on our YouTube channel.

Dodge DA Repairs

Now that our 1929 Dodge DA has been registered with the DVLA and is ready to be used on UK roads, classic car technician Brian has been completing some repairs on the interior of this impressive classic car.

The first area of Brian’s focus was the damaged front seat cover. Once this was repaired, Brian fitted fasteners to the rear side section of the hood and frame.

Our 1929 Dodge DA is currently up for sale so, if you are interested in this Dodge Brothers classic, please get in touch.

Dodge DA – summer ready

With the amazing news that the DVLA have finally registered our 1929 Dodge DA, we have transported the car from The Hangar back to the workshops ready for the new plates to be fitted and the full recommission to commence.

We already have a diary packed full of amazing summer shows so we look forward to taking our very special Dodge out and about very soon.

What’s the Story – Why the World Should Know About the 1929 Dodge Brothers DA

The name Dodge conjures up an image of strong, reliable and purposeful cars from the 1950s, 60s and 70s. But, the history of the company, its models and the 2 brothers behind it is greater than the sum of its parts.

The Dodge Brothers, John and Horace, began their empire in a small machine shop in Detroit, Michigan. Originally, the two brothers began making bicycle parts before ever getting involved in the fledgeling automotive industry springing up around the city and surrounding area.

They had worked closely with Henry Ford (in fact, the brothers for a time held high-up positions within the Ford Motor Company) by lending their manufacturing knowledge, business know-how and investment into the very early days of Ford (they also had done engineering and machining work at the early stages of the Oldsmobile company). What they learned while producing all manner of components for the unprecedented production run of the Model T, would set them on the way to creating a car company the likes of which the world had never seen.

Early automobiles of the time were notoriously fragile, dangerous and rather unrefined. The Dodge Brothers set out to change all of that. It’s remarked on that Dodge actually gave the world the word ”Dependability” because of how rugged the engineering behind their own cars was, but also because they didn’t shake their passengers into oblivion across the mostly dirt roads of early 20th century America. And, they didn’t break the bank…

Dodge would also be a pioneer in the use of 12-volt electrics as standard in cars, something that wouldn’t truly catch on industry-wide for another 50-60 years afterwards. The sheer ruggedness of the Dodge Brothers’ cars saw them scattered to the most far-flung reaches of the known world, all four corners of the earth had a Dodge somewhere.

The DA broke cover in 1929, under its official name the DA Six. The car would come 9 years after the unfortunate passing of its founding brothers but carried their legendary name and their approach to rugged yet refined engineering. One of the greatest refinements pioneered on the DA’s was the use of rubber engine mounts, which stopped the harsh vibrations from the 6-cylinder engine and 3-speed gearbox being transmitted through the frame and into the cabin of the car. Not only for comfort but to stop anything from rattling itself loose and to top it all off, the DA’s were fitted with hydraulically controlled drum brakes on all 4 corners of the car. A first for an American-built car up until that point.

Our particular 1929 Dodge Brothers DA Phaeton/Tourer has spent some of its 97-year life in South Africa. The car was in the care of collector John Ryall who used this incredible patina’d pre-war tourer, it was used on rallies and tours across the country and kept stored away safely when not in use. We then acquired the car before having it loaded up inside of a shipping container and sent it all the way to us here in England. Our workshop team could not believe just how good of a condition this classic Dodge was in!

And that is how our part of the story begins with the stunning dark blue 1929 Dodge DA. We’re currently awaiting its UK registration and it is up for sale right now on our classic car sales platform, MyClassics!

If you want to read another absolutely incredible and heartfelt story of a couple’s love story with a one-family owned, 1927 Dodge then click here to read the wonderful story from Motorious which inspired us to write the history of our 1929 Dodge Brothers DA.

A Closer Look – Photographing Our 1929 Dodge Brothers DA.

With all the work now complete on the 1929 Dodge Brothers DA by the workshop at Bridge Classic Cars, we thought it would be nice to pull the car out and take some photos of this beautiful pre-war Dodge Brothers Tourer.

The car is being kept at our secure storage facility, The Hangar, for the time being. So, one day when there was a bit of sun and it was perfectly dry the team pulled the car out onto the pad and shot some photos of the car.

It’s always a pleasure having pre-war cars in with ourselves. There’s a satisfying simplicity about them which reminds us of the true spirit of driving. Nothing more, nothing less. Just exactly what you need when you need it.

This is a Dodge Brothers car. Although Chrysler bought the name in 1928, this car still wears its original Dodge Brothers emblem on the radiator shell. It’s also right-hand drive, which is rather unique for a DA.

We’ve really enjoyed working on and having the 1929 DA in our work shops so here’s some photos to share with you why we love it.

Stopping Power – New Brake Master Cylinder Fitted to the 1929 Dodge Brothers DA

Bridge Classic Cars have finally received a crucial piece of the puzzle to getting the 1929 Dodge Brothers DA back on the road. A brand new brake master cylinder.

Paul, one of our technicians, fitted up the new master onto the car in replacement of the old one which had some leaks and wouldn’t allow us to bleed or adjust the brakes. So, with the new one now securely underneath the pre-war/pre-Chrysler Dodge the team could begin the task of bleeding and adjusting the brakes so this wonderful vintage tourer can hit the road again someday soon.

Check Over – Inspecting the 1929 Dodge Brothers DA

Bridge Classic Cars have got this incredible pre-war 1929 Dodge Brothers DA in our Suffolk workshop to begin the inspection of this beautiful dark blue tourer.

Our in-house restoration technician Paul has been busy giving this classic a full check over to highlight any areas that will need attention for it to be safely driven and mechanically reliable. Paul noted that the fuel system will need attention along with the brakes. Apart from that, the Dodge is in remarkable condition for its age.

With this, our in-house teams are currently sourcing either new parts or specialists at the top of the field in refurbishing units needed.

This Just In – 1929 Dodge DA

This beautiful 1929 Dodge Brothers DA is the latest arrival into the Bridge Classic Cars workshop.

This car is due to be inspected and assessed by our in-house restoration teams to bring this stunning pre-war Dodge up to scratch. The teams will go through each aspect of the car and report back on their findings.

Keep a look out on the Bridge Classic Cars newspage for more updates on the 1929 Dodge Brothers DA.