1924 Dodge Brothers Series 116 Roadster: 116-Inch Wheelbase Chassis

Dodge Brothers sold the 1924 Series 116 Roadster with a 116-inch wheelbase and a 212.3-cubic-inch L-head four-cylinder engine commonly rated at 35 horsepower. A three-speed manual transmission sent power to the rear axle, while the open two-seat body retained the upright radiator, separate fenders and compact rear deck expected of an American roadster in the middle 1920s.

The Series 116 belonged to the final sustained phase of Dodge Brothers four-cylinder production before the marque expanded into six-cylinder cars later in the decade. The description Late Four-Cylinder Era is a modern historical classification rather than a factory model designation, but it accurately separates the 116-inch cars from the shorter, earlier Dodge Brothers designs and the multi-cylinder range that followed.

Best known for combining Dodge Brothers' durable side-valve four with a longer 116-inch chassis and factory-built open coachwork, the Series 116 Roadster represents the mature form of the company's original mechanical formula.

Collectors still care because the roadster strips that formula to its essentials. Its open body provides immediate access to the controls and chassis, its engine remains comparatively understandable to a skilled prewar restorer, and its proportions avoid the visual mass of the closed Series 116 bodies. Correct examples also illustrate how much automobile design changed between the brass-era-influenced cars of the late 1910s and the lower, increasingly integrated bodies of the late 1920s.

Quick Facts

The following summary distinguishes the 1924 Roadster from the broader Series 116 family. Dodge Brothers offered several passenger-car body styles on the same basic chassis, so body form is as important as the year and series designation when identifying a surviving vehicle.

The number 116 is directly associated with the chassis' 116-inch wheelbase. It should not be treated as a modern trim code or decoded as an engine designation. Period registrations can describe these cars simply as a Dodge roadster, making physical inspection and comparison with factory literature essential.

Why the Series 116 Roadster Matters

Dodge Brothers entered automobile production in 1914 after supplying engines, transmissions and other major components to manufacturers including Ford. From its first car, the company emphasized robust construction, an all-steel body concept and a complete electrical system at a time when some inexpensive cars still demanded greater compromise from their owners.

By 1924, that original four-cylinder design philosophy had undergone a decade of refinement. The Series 116 gave Dodge buyers a longer chassis than the company's early cars while retaining the large-displacement, low-speed side-valve engine that had established the marque's reputation. The Roadster added neither racing equipment nor a special high-output engine. Its significance lies in presenting the standard Dodge mechanical package in the lightest and most direct passenger body available.

This also makes the Roadster particularly revealing in restored form. A heavy sedan can mask some of an early chassis' responses through body mass and enclosure, while the open car exposes steering movement, driveline noise and frame motion. It is the Series 116 reduced to engine, frame, two-seat body and weather equipment.

Historical Context and Development

Dodge Brothers after John and Horace Dodge

John Dodge died in January 1920, followed by Horace in December of the same year. The company continued under professional management and remained an independent manufacturer during the 1924 model year. The heirs sold Dodge Brothers to the investment firm Dillon, Read & Company in 1925, and Chrysler did not acquire the business until 1928.

That sequence matters when evaluating the Series 116. It was not a Chrysler-engineered Dodge, nor was it a product of the later Chrysler Corporation platform system. Its engine, chassis conventions and restrained styling belonged to the independent Dodge Brothers organization.

The American market in 1924

The Series 116 competed in a market dominated by four-cylinder cars but increasingly receptive to inexpensive sixes. Ford's Model T remained the price benchmark, while Chevrolet's Superior used a smaller overhead-valve four. Dodge generally asked buyers to pay more than the lowest-priced makes in return for a substantial chassis, electric starting and lighting, conventional sliding-gear transmission and steel bodywork.

The company did not develop the Roadster to satisfy a homologation rule, and no factory competition edition formed part of the Series 116 catalog. Roadsters nevertheless suited owners who wanted less body weight, easy mechanical access and lower purchase cost than a closed coupe or sedan. Their removable weather protection also made them practical in regions where an enclosed body was not indispensable.

Design and coachwork

The 1924 Roadster retained the formal vocabulary of the early 1920s: a tall radiator shell, flat hood sides, separate headlamps, flowing front and rear fenders, running boards and a nearly vertical two-piece windscreen. The passenger compartment sat well behind the engine, and the short rear deck provided a cleaner profile than the upright touring body.

Although Dodge Brothers was closely associated with steel body construction, the Roadster was not a modern unit-body car. Its body attached to a separate steel frame, and wood remained present in floorboards, tack strips and other fittings. Restoration quality depends on understanding that mixture rather than treating every wooden component as an improper later repair.

Engine and Drivetrain

The Series 116 used the long-serving Dodge Brothers four-cylinder engine, with its cylinders arranged in line and its valves positioned in the block. The L-head layout placed the intake and exhaust valves beside the cylinders, permitting a simple cylinder head and compact valve gear. Its strengths were low-speed pulling ability, modest mechanical complexity and ease of routine valve service compared with more elaborate overhead-valve designs.

Published references commonly give a bore of 3.875 inches and a stroke of 4.5 inches, producing 212.3 cubic inches, or approximately 3.48 litres. The long stroke and conservative period rating reveal the intended operating regime. This was an engine to be worked through its torque at modest crankshaft speed, not held at high revolutions.

The specification table deliberately omits torque, compression ratio and maximum engine speed because dependable, consistently cited factory figures are not readily available for the 1924 Roadster. Assigning modern estimates to those fields would create false precision.

Fuel reaches a single carburetor through a period low-pressure delivery arrangement rather than a modern electric pump and regulated return system. Carburetor and fuel-feed components can differ on surviving cars because replacements were routine during their working lives. A restorer should identify the exact equipment fitted before ordering parts or applying a generic 1924 specification.

Ignition uses a battery, coil and distributor, supported by the car's starting and charging equipment. Correct restoration requires more than making the engine spark. Distributor advance, generator regulation, cable gauge, starter condition and sound engine grounds all affect how an early electrical system behaves under load.

The three-speed gearbox is a non-synchronized sliding-gear unit. It demands deliberate clutch timing, low engine speed during shifts and, where appropriate, double-declutching. Power passes through a propeller shaft to the rear axle, following the front-engine, rear-drive layout then standard for American passenger cars.

Chassis, Suspension and Braking

The Roadster body bolts to a separate pressed-steel frame. Semi-elliptic leaf springs locate the beam front axle and live rear axle, while mechanical steering acts through a steering box and linkages. The layout is simple, but its behavior depends heavily on spring condition, shackle wear, axle alignment and the accumulated clearance in every steering joint.

Braking is mechanical and acts at the rear wheels, not through a modern four-wheel hydraulic circuit. Drivers therefore rely on anticipation, engine braking and careful adjustment. A car that pulls sharply or requires excessive pedal travel may have contaminated linings, unequal linkage settings, distorted drums or worn pivots rather than an inherent inability to stop at its intended road speed.

This table concentrates on durable chassis facts. Tire dimensions, wheel suppliers and accessory equipment should be checked against the build date and relevant Dodge Brothers parts literature because surviving cars often acquired later rims, demountable components or substitute tires.

The frame and spring layout provided ample articulation for the unsealed and uneven roads common in 1924. It also allowed the body to move relative to the axles in a way that feels foreign after driving a later independent-front-suspension car. Excessive wander, shimmy or frame noise should not be excused as period character until the steering, wheels, spring mountings and frame have been inspected.

Driving Experience and Handling Dynamics

A correctly set up Series 116 Roadster starts with a deliberate sequence of fuel, ignition and throttle controls. Once warm, the 212.3-cubic-inch four produces its useful work at low engine speed. Throttle response is measured rather than sharp, and the long-stroke engine feels most comfortable pulling cleanly in the middle of its operating range.

The gearbox determines much of the driving rhythm. First gear gets the car moving, second handles slower gradients and town work, and top becomes the natural cruising ratio once momentum is established. Because the gears lack synchromesh, a hurried shift produces noise rather than speed. Smooth progress comes from allowing shaft speeds to settle and matching engine revolutions on downshifts.

At parking speed, the steering is heavy, particularly if the tires are underinflated or the steering box has been overtightened in an attempt to remove play. It lightens as the car moves, but response remains slower than in a later car with a lower body, wider tires and independent front suspension. The narrow tires and flexible leaf-sprung chassis communicate ruts, road crown and crosswinds directly through the wheel.

Body roll is visible, yet the Roadster's relatively light open body gives it a less ponderous response than a closed Series 116. The rear brakes require a long view of traffic. Brake pedal effort and stopping distance both rise when adjustment is poor, which is why an inspection must assess the complete linkage rather than merely confirming that the pedal feels firm.

No reliable standardized 0-to-60-mph or quarter-mile test is generally cited for the 1924 Roadster. Such measurements were not normal factory selling points for this class of car, and surviving speed claims are affected by axle gearing, body weight, tire diameter and engine condition.

Identification and Originality

Serial numbers and the absence of a modern VIN

A 1924 Dodge Brothers does not carry a standardized 17-character vehicle identification number. Identification depends on the factory car serial number, the engine number, body details and documentary continuity. Plate location and stamping practice should be confirmed through model-year factory literature or a recognized Dodge Brothers historical reference before concluding that a number is absent or incorrect.

The engine number is useful evidence but should not automatically be described as a modern matching-number VIN derivative. Early manufacturers did not apply the later collector industry's uniform definition of matching numbers. A credible car is one whose chassis identity, engine type, number chronology, body construction and paperwork agree, with any replacement clearly disclosed.

Body and chassis clues

A genuine Roadster should have purpose-built two-seat open coachwork with a compact passenger compartment and rear deck, not a shortened touring body assembled around reproduction panels. Inspect the door shape, sill structure, cowl, windshield mounting points, seat support, rear body framing and the way the body meets the running boards. Uniformly fresh sheet metal can be less reassuring than sound original panels whose seams and mounting details correspond with period construction.

The 116-inch wheelbase is a fundamental check and should be measured at the axle centers with the wheels straight. Wheelbase alone does not establish identity, since other Series 116 body styles shared the same chassis, but a conflicting measurement immediately demands further investigation.

Engine, electrical equipment and fittings

Common substitutions include later carburetors, electric fuel pumps, modern ignition coils, alternators, replacement distributors and improvised wiring. These changes may improve usability, but they reduce factory authenticity unless they can be reversed without damage. The correct four-cylinder block architecture, cylinder head, manifolds, starter, generator, fan arrangement and control linkages deserve close comparison with period parts illustrations.

Originality also depends on details that restorations often simplify: wood artillery wheel construction, rim hardware, headlamp and tail-lamp forms, radiator shell, hubcaps, windshield brackets, instruments, hood fasteners, running-board trim and top hardware. Reproduction items are not necessarily undesirable, but a buyer should know which parts are original, restored originals, accurate reproductions or generic replacements.

Paint, trim and documentation

Dodge Brothers did not use a modern visible option label carrying paint, trim and equipment codes in the manner of a postwar automobile. Color claims should be supported by model-year sales literature, factory records where available, protected traces of original finish and expert analysis of surviving paint layers. Black fenders were characteristic of the period, but the body-color combination still needs car-specific evidence.

Roadster upholstery, floor material, top fabric, side curtains and weather seals are frequently replaced because the originals were exposed to sun and water. Correct grain, binding, stitching and fastener patterns matter in a high-level restoration. Old registrations, title history, dated photographs, service invoices and correspondence can be more persuasive than an unsupported claim that every component left Detroit together.

Variant and Body-Style Breakdown

The Series 116 was a chassis family rather than a single trim. Catalog availability changed during the series' production life, and commercial bodies formed their own area of study, so the table concentrates on the principal passenger-car forms associated with the family rather than claiming one fixed catalog for every sales date.

No homologation special, factory racing derivative or high-output Roadster is recognized as part of the standard Series 116 range. Exact body-style production totals are not consistently documented in readily available period records, so rarity claims should be based on defensible factory or marque-club research rather than the number of cars appearing in auction catalogs.

Performance and Dimensional Specifications

Period Dodge Brothers literature emphasized durability, construction and operating utility rather than instrumented acceleration. The most dependable reference measurements are therefore the engine displacement and chassis wheelbase, while top speed, curb weight and overall dimensions can differ among sources and body configurations.

A claimed maximum speed should be treated cautiously unless it comes from a clearly identified period test of the same body, gearing and tire size. Engine wear alone can create a substantial difference between two surviving cars. The absence of a quoted 0-to-60-mph time is historically appropriate, not a gap to be filled with simulation.

Compared With Related Dodge Brothers Models

Earlier Dodge Brothers four-cylinder cars

The pre-Series 116 cars established the basic Dodge formula of a large side-valve four, conventional gearbox, rear drive and robust body construction. The Series 116 developed that formula around a longer 116-inch chassis and mid-1920s body proportions. Parts may look similar across adjacent years, but similarity does not guarantee interchangeability in the radiator, hood, cowl, frame brackets, controls or coachwork.

Series 116 Touring versus Roadster

The Touring shares the Roadster's essential mechanical specification but carries a longer open passenger body with additional seating. Its added body structure, doors and weather equipment alter both appearance and road behavior. Buyers seeking a family-oriented open Dodge usually favor the Touring, while the Roadster appeals to those who value simpler coachwork and a more compact profile.

Series 116 closed cars

Coupe and sedan bodies offer better weather protection and a more complete period interior, but their roof structures and larger bodies add restoration complexity. Wood deterioration, door alignment and roof covering can consume considerable labor. The Roadster replaces those concerns with its own difficult components, particularly the folding top irons, windshield fittings, side curtains and rear deck structure.

Later Dodge Brothers models

Later 1920s Dodge Brothers cars introduced revised series designations, updated bodies, improved braking and, eventually, broader use of six-cylinder power. They are not simply newer Series 116s. Their controls, road speed and stopping ability can be more suitable for regular touring, while the Series 116 preserves a mechanical layout much closer to the company's original 1914 conception.

Ownership and Restoration Notes

Engine rebuilding

A proper rebuild begins with measurement rather than a gasket set. Cylinder taper, crankshaft journals, main and connecting-rod bearing condition, camshaft wear, valve guides, valve seats and oil passages all require inspection by a shop familiar with engines using period bearing and lubrication practices. Modern tolerances or materials should not be applied without understanding thermal expansion and oil delivery in the original design.

Overheating can result from sediment in the block and radiator, restricted coolant passages, a deteriorated radiator core, incorrect ignition timing or a lean mixture. A clean-looking radiator is not proof of internal flow. Cooling repairs should preserve the original external appearance where practical, particularly the tanks, filler neck and hose arrangement.

Fuel, ignition and electrical systems

Old fuel residue, corroded tanks and air leaks in the delivery system often cause inconsistent running. Carburetor castings can be warped or cracked, and replacement jets may bear little relation to the engine's needs. An unobtrusive electric pump is sometimes added, but excessive pressure can overwhelm the carburetor and create a fire risk.

Electrical reliability depends on clean terminals, correctly sized cables and properly rebuilt starter and generator components. Thin modern battery leads create voltage drop and slow cranking. Any voltage conversion should be documented, since it affects bulbs, charging components, instruments and the judgment of originality.

Transmission, axle and controls

Gear noise is not automatically harmless. Worn bearings, damaged teeth, excessive shaft movement and poor lubricant selection can turn an operable gearbox into an expensive rebuild. Clutch drag makes the non-synchronized transmission especially difficult to engage and can be mistaken for poor driving technique.

The rear axle should be checked for pinion wear, bearing play, lubricant leakage and correct contact pattern. Steering boxes, kingpins, tie-rod ends, spring pins and shackles commonly accumulate wear over decades. Removing play from only one component can conceal the larger condition of the system.

Body and frame

Rust commonly develops where moisture and debris remain trapped, including lower body edges, splash aprons, running-board mounts, fender attachment points and frame areas near body brackets. Look for cracked crossmembers, elongated mounting holes and distortion caused by towing or collision damage. Roadster doors and the rear deck opening provide useful evidence of whether the body sits squarely on the frame.

Top irons and windshield hardware can cost more to recreate accurately than their size suggests. Generic reproduction lamps, gauges, handles and fasteners are easier to obtain than exact Dodge-pattern pieces. Mechanical service items can often be sourced through antique-car specialists and marque clubs, but body-specific hardware may require patient searching, repair of an original or custom fabrication.

Buyer and Inspection Points

A purchase inspection should establish identity first, structural integrity second and cosmetic condition third. A running but incorrectly assembled car can require more research and fabrication than a complete, honest project retaining its original patterns.

A road test should begin only after wheel, tire and brake safety have been established. Listen during acceleration and overrun, test whether the clutch fully releases, and note whether steering play changes through the wheel's travel. A freshly painted chassis can still conceal poor geometry, exhausted springs or an overtightened steering box.

Collector and Market Relevance

Open Dodge Brothers cars attract collectors who want a recognizable American marque without the mechanical complication of a multi-cylinder luxury car. Within the Series 116 family, the Roadster's short passenger body and simple profile usually give it stronger sporting appeal than the sedan, even though it was never a factory performance model.

Desirability depends less on claimed rarity than on identity, completeness and quality of workmanship. A documented original car with correct roadster coachwork, usable mechanical systems and repairable factory fittings offers a better foundation than a highly polished example assembled from mixed-year components. Correct top hardware, lamps, instruments, wheels and body fittings can materially affect collector judgment because those pieces are difficult to source after a restoration has begun.

Auction descriptions sometimes compress every early Dodge into a generic prewar category. Serious buyers separate a genuine 1924 Series 116 Roadster from earlier short-wheelbase cars, later Dodge Brothers models and touring-car conversions. Exact production totals for the 1924 Roadster are not consistently documented, so confident numerical rarity claims require a cited factory source.

Cultural Relevance

The Series 116 had no defining factory racing campaign and was not created around motorsport regulations. Its cultural role was rooted in ordinary American motoring, when paved highways were expanding but local roads still demanded tall tires, flexible springs and generous ground clearance. The Roadster served owners who accepted side curtains and a folding top in exchange for lower body weight and open-air travel.

Dodge Brothers clubs and specialist restorers have preserved the practical knowledge required to keep these cars operating, including serial-number research, ignition setup, wheel restoration and sourcing of period-pattern hardware. That club culture matters because printed service information alone cannot always explain eighty or more years of substitutions and field repairs.

The car also demonstrates the speed of design change during the 1920s. Its separate lamps, running boards, upright windscreen and exposed fenders looked conventional in 1924, yet increasingly integrated bodies, four-wheel brakes and six-cylinder engines soon reset buyer expectations. A correct Series 116 Roadster makes that transition visible without relying on later custom modifications or retrospective styling.

Frequently Asked Questions

What engine is in the 1924 Dodge Brothers Series 116 Roadster?

It uses a naturally aspirated L-head inline-four displacing 212.3 cubic inches, approximately 3.48 litres. Period references commonly list output at 35 horsepower. The engine drives the rear axle through a three-speed manual gearbox and enclosed propeller shaft.

Does Series 116 refer to the wheelbase?

Yes. The Series 116 is associated with a 116-inch wheelbase, measured between the front and rear axle centers. The designation does not indicate engine displacement or horsepower.

What years was the Dodge Brothers Series 116 produced?

The Series 116 family is generally identified with the 1923 through 1925 model years. The subject of this article is the 1924 Roadster, one of several passenger body styles offered on the chassis.

How can a genuine Series 116 Roadster be identified?

Check the factory car serial number, engine number chronology, 116-inch wheelbase, chassis construction and roadster-specific body details against period parts books and recognized Dodge Brothers references. Because the car predates standardized VINs, no single modern-style decoder establishes originality by itself.

Did the 1924 Series 116 have four-wheel brakes?

No. The Series 116 used mechanically operated rear-wheel service brakes. Safe operation depends on sound drums and linings, free pivots, correct linkage adjustment, suitable tires and driving techniques appropriate to the period.

Are parts available for a 1924 Dodge Brothers Roadster?

Routine mechanical parts, ignition pieces, gaskets and some reproduction items can be found through antique-car suppliers, specialists and Dodge Brothers clubs. Roadster-only components such as top irons, windshield fittings, body hardware and rear-deck pieces are more difficult and may need restoration or careful fabrication.

What are the largest restoration cost factors?

Major engine machining, deteriorated wood wheels, a damaged frame, incomplete roadster coachwork and missing top or windshield hardware can dominate a restoration budget. Correcting an assembled car with mixed-year components may also require extensive research and repeated fabrication, even if its paint and upholstery appear finished.

Collector Takeaway

The 1924 Dodge Brothers Series 116 Roadster matters because it preserves the company's original large-displacement four-cylinder formula at a mature stage of development. Its 116-inch frame, 212.3-cubic-inch side-valve engine, three-speed gearbox and rear mechanical brakes record exactly what a durable mid-priced American car offered before six-cylinder power and four-wheel braking became expected.

The right car is not necessarily the shiniest. It is the one whose serial identity, roadster body, engine architecture and difficult-to-replace fittings withstand careful inspection. Restored with restraint and driven with mechanical sympathy, the Series 116 Roadster delivers an unusually direct account of Dodge Brothers engineering before the Chrysler era began.