Quick Facts

The following summary separates the DA chassis from the Phaeton body style and avoids applying specifications from the larger Dodge Senior models or later DB-series cars.

The two-letter DA designation is the essential starting point for research. It identifies the series rather than a modern platform generation, and it should not be confused with a body number, engine number or the designations assigned to larger contemporary Dodge sixes.

Why the DA Six Phaeton Matters

The DA marked Dodge's adoption of a six-cylinder engine for a high-volume passenger-car line at the end of the 1920s. Its 208.4-cubic-inch side-valve engine offered more even firing impulses and smoother low-speed operation than the four-cylinder engines still common in the price class, while hydraulic service brakes reduced the linkage adjustment associated with mechanically operated systems.

The Phaeton illustrates how rapidly American body preferences were changing. Four-door open touring cars had been mainstream family transport earlier in the decade, but steel-roofed sedans were taking over by 1929. A DA Phaeton therefore combined current chassis engineering with a body architecture that was already losing sales to enclosed cars.

That transition has direct collector consequences. Sedans supplied much of the DA's volume, whereas open cars suffered heavier attrition through exposure, commercial conversion and years of inexpensive secondary use. Exact Phaeton production is not consistently separated in surviving published summaries, so unsupported rarity totals should be treated with caution, but complete original bodies are plainly less often encountered than DA sedans.

Historical Context and Development

Dodge Brothers After the Chrysler Acquisition

Chrysler Corporation completed its acquisition of Dodge Brothers in 1928. Dodge brought established factories, a large dealer organization and a reputation built on robust passenger cars and commercial vehicles. The DA that followed retained the Dodge Brothers name and familiar crosshair-influenced radiator identity while operating within a corporation that also sold Plymouth, DeSoto and Chrysler automobiles.

The engineering brief was practical rather than exotic: six-cylinder smoothness, sufficient torque for full passenger loads, hydraulic braking and a chassis capable of coping with roads that ranged from paved city streets to deeply rutted rural surfaces. The DA's 112-inch wheelbase kept the car more manageable than Dodge's larger six-cylinder offerings without reducing it to the scale of an entry-level economy model.

Competition in 1929 and 1930

Chevrolet's 1929 International Series AC introduced the heavily promoted 194-cubic-inch overhead-valve six, while Ford's Model A relied on a 201-cubic-inch four. Within Chrysler Corporation, Plymouth served the lower-priced market and Chrysler-branded cars extended farther upward. Dodge had to justify itself through cylinder count, braking specification, finish and the established dealer reputation attached to its name.

The Wall Street crash and the contracting automobile market transformed that contest during the DA's short life. Buyers moved toward less expensive cars and increasingly selected closed bodies for year-round use. The Phaeton's removable curtains could keep out some weather, but they could not match a sedan's glass side windows, security or winter sealing.

Body Design and Visual Character

The Phaeton's body is defined by four conventional doors, an upright folding windshield, a low fabric top and a long passenger compartment uninterrupted by a fixed roof. A tall radiator shell, separate headlamps, sweeping front and rear fenders, running boards and exposed wheels give the car the vertical stance expected of a late-1920s Dodge. With the top lowered, the body looks substantially longer and lighter than the mechanically related sedan.

Details such as hood louvers, door handles, windshield stanchions, top irons, side-curtain fasteners, lamp shells and hubcaps are not decorative trivia. Their form and finish help distinguish an intact car from one assembled with broadly similar components sourced from other late-1920s automobiles.

There was no homologation program or factory racing derivative attached to the DA Phaeton. Its engineering priorities concerned public-road durability and sales competition, not displacement-class racing rules.

Engine and Drivetrain

208.4-Cubic-Inch L-Head Six

The DA engine places its valves in the block beside the cylinders, the side-valve or L-head arrangement used by Dodge and many competitors for dependable low-speed service. Bore and stroke measure 3.25 by 4.1875 inches, producing approximately 208.4 cubic inches. Period specifications commonly list 63 bhp at 3,000 rpm.

A single carburetor feeds the engine through a conventional intake manifold. Battery-and-coil ignition uses a distributor to fire six spark plugs, while a belt-driven fan and liquid-cooling circuit control temperature. The lubrication system depends on clean oil, correct internal clearances and an unobstructed pump and gallery system, all points that deserve inspection after decades of storage.

Compression-ratio figures are not equally reported across surviving reference material, and published torque and maximum-engine-speed figures are not sufficiently consistent to place in a definitive table. The figures below are the core dimensions most reliably associated with the DA engine.

The long stroke and modest operating speed explain more about the DA's road character than the peak-power number alone. It was designed to pull away cleanly and carry speed in top gear, not to reward high engine speeds. A correctly rebuilt example should feel deliberate and flexible rather than breathless or mechanically busy.

Clutch, Gearbox and Rear Axle

The dry single-plate clutch sends power through a three-speed sliding-gear transmission. With no modern synchromesh to disguise poor technique, smooth shifts depend on patient lever movement, suitable engine-speed matching and double-declutching when changing down. Gear clash is not an unavoidable feature of the car, but it is a predictable result of haste or worn clutch release components.

The propeller shaft and rear axle require inspection for universal-joint wear, lubricant loss and incorrect pinion adjustment. Persistent axle whine under load or on overrun can indicate worn gears or bearings, repairs that demand more expertise than simply replacing seals.

Chassis, Suspension and Braking

The DA uses a separate ladder frame, beam front axle and live rear axle, with semi-elliptic leaf springs. This layout was orthodox in 1929, easy to service and tolerant of poor road surfaces. The Phaeton body was mounted separately to the frame, and surviving open bodies commonly depend on timber framing and metal skin working together for door alignment and structural integrity.

The table records chassis details that are useful when distinguishing a DA from neighboring Dodge series and when checking whether a restoration retains the proper scale of running gear.

Four-wheel hydraulic brakes are among the DA's most consequential specifications. They distribute pedal effort without the long rods, pivots and compensating linkages used by many mechanically braked contemporaries. That does not make an unrestored system safe by modern standards: corroded cylinders, swollen hoses, contaminated linings and pitted bores can turn an apparently firm pedal into an unreliable one.

Manual steering, a beam axle and tall-section tires produce a very different response from an independent-front-suspension car. Correct kingpins, tie-rod ends, wheel bearings and steering-box adjustment are essential. Excessive free play should not be dismissed as normal simply because the car is old.

Driving Experience and Handling Dynamics

At parking speed, the DA's steering asks for forearm effort, especially if the driver tries to turn the wheels while stationary. Once rolling, the large steering wheel supplies leverage and the car settles into measured responses. The beam axle communicates potholes and broken surfaces through the rim, although narrow tires and long leaf springs absorb the sharpest edges better than their appearance suggests.

The long-stroke six delivers its useful work at modest engine speed. Throttle response is governed as much by carburetor condition and ignition timing as by pedal travel, and a well-sorted engine should pull cleanly without spitting through the intake or stumbling under load. It is happier gathering speed in a long, steady sweep than being rushed through the gears.

The gearbox rewards a pause in neutral and accurate clutch timing. First gear gets the car and its passengers moving, second handles gradients and low-speed traffic, and top is the normal cruising ratio. A hurried downshift can produce gear noise, while a correctly timed double-declutch feels precise and mechanically satisfying.

Body roll, axle movement and modest tire contact patches establish the cornering limits. The chassis works best when the driver sets a line early, avoids abrupt steering inputs and preserves momentum. With the top erected, wind pressure and body movement are more noticeable; with it folded, visibility and the sense of speed improve dramatically.

The hydraulic drums provide progressive retardation when properly rebuilt and adjusted, but they lack the heat capacity and repeated high-speed consistency of later braking systems. A good pedal should be firm and predictable. Pulling, pumping or a gradually sinking pedal indicates a fault, not period character.

Identification and Originality

Serial, Engine and Body Numbers

A DA should be identified through its factory serial information, engine stamping, wheelbase and body construction rather than through a seller's description alone. These cars predate the standardized 17-character VIN, so the number appearing on a modern title may be a vehicle serial number, an engine number or a number assigned later by a jurisdiction.

Before purchase, record every visible stamping and plate exactly, including spacing and typeface, then compare those numbers with marque-club records, factory parts literature and the title. Do not assume that an engine number and chassis serial must be identical. Early-car matching-number claims require documentation and period-correct number ranges, not the modern expectation that every major component carries one repeated VIN.

Body numbers may identify the body assembly rather than the complete vehicle. Their survival is useful, but a missing body tag should be investigated in the context of old restoration work, replaced timber and title history. Freshly stamped plates, disturbed rivets or numbers that do not correspond with the physical DA specification deserve expert examination.

Distinguishing a Genuine Phaeton

A genuine Phaeton has four opening side doors, a folding top assembly and open side apertures closed by removable curtains rather than roll-up glass. The windshield posts, top sockets, curtain fasteners, door caps and rear body structure should form a coherent factory-style installation. A sedan with its roof removed will usually reveal altered door frames, improvised upper body edges and structural work inconsistent with original open coachwork.

Wheelbase is an important cross-check because components from larger Dodge six-cylinder models can make an incorrectly described car appear superficially convincing. Measure the chassis rather than relying on registration paperwork. The DA specification is 112 inches between axle centers.

Correct Equipment and Finishes

Originality questions often center on the carburetor, distributor, generator, starter, lamps, gauges, horn, wire wheels and hubcaps. These components were commonly replaced during the car's working life, and visually similar Chrysler Corporation parts do not automatically make a component DA-correct. Casting numbers, manufacturer tags and parts-book applications are more persuasive than fresh cosmetic finishes.

Body restoration must preserve the Phaeton's door fit, beltline and top geometry. Reproduction upholstery, top fabric, rubber, wiring and floor materials can be appropriate when they copy period construction, but generic vinyl, modern loop carpet and exposed contemporary fasteners quickly undermine an otherwise sound car.

Dodge offered period paint combinations, but there is no single correct color for every DA Phaeton. Original paint beneath hinges, body hardware, cowl trim and upholstery tacks can provide stronger evidence than a modern paint chart. Any claimed factory paint code should be supported by applicable Dodge literature rather than inferred from a later Chrysler color.

DA Six Variants and Body Styles

The DA designation covered several passenger-car bodies sharing the same basic six-cylinder chassis. Terminology and individual catalog offerings could differ by model year and market, so the table groups the principal forms without assigning unsupported production totals.

Trim distinctions within the closed-body range should not be transferred automatically to a Phaeton. Handles, moldings, upholstery and lamps need confirmation against literature for the relevant body and year. There was no factory competition or homologation version of the DA Phaeton.

Performance and Dimensional Specifications

Period DA material provides dependable engine and wheelbase data, but repeatable acceleration tests for the Phaeton are not widely documented. Body weights also differ among catalogues and body configurations, so a sedan figure should not be presented as a Phaeton curb weight.

No defensible factory or controlled period figure for Phaeton 0-60 mph, quarter-mile performance or maximum speed is consistently available. Those metrics were not routinely recorded for every late-1920s body style, and estimates based on restored cars can be distorted by axle ratios, tire diameter, engine condition and non-original components.

Compared With Related Dodge Models

DA Six Versus Earlier Four-Cylinder Dodges

The DA's six-cylinder engine is the central distinction from the four-cylinder Dodge passenger cars that preceded it. The six provides more frequent power strokes and better low-speed smoothness, while the 112-inch chassis and hydraulic brakes give the DA the road manners expected of a later design. An earlier car may share broad styling themes, but engine, chassis and body fittings should not be assumed interchangeable.

DA Six Versus the Dodge Senior Six

Contemporary Senior models used larger chassis and engines and represented a separate Dodge series. Their imposing radiator proportions and six-cylinder layout can lead to mistaken advertising, especially when a car has lost its serial plate or carries transplanted parts. Wheelbase, engine dimensions and series documentation settle the matter more reliably than grille shape alone.

DA Versus the 1930s DB Series

The DB designation belongs to the succeeding phase of Dodge passenger-car development and should not be used as a casual synonym for DA. Components may look related because Chrysler-era engineering evolved incrementally, but a restoration assembled from later running gear can lose the features that define a correct DA.

Phaeton Versus Roadster

The Roadster is an open two-door car, while the Phaeton provides four side doors and seating access appropriate to family touring. Confusion arises when both are advertised simply as convertibles. In period terminology, the body architecture and door count are decisive, not merely the presence of a folding roof.

Ownership and Restoration Notes

Mechanical Service

The flathead six is conventional enough for an experienced prewar-engine machine shop, but a proper rebuild begins with measurement. Cylinder wear, crankshaft journals, valve seats, camshaft condition, oil-pump clearances and cracks around the block and water passages require inspection. Replacement pistons, rings, bearings or valves may require specialist sourcing or machining rather than ordering a complete modern kit.

Cooling systems accumulate scale and corrosion, particularly after long storage with plain water. The radiator core, water passages, pump, hoses and fan should be assessed as a system. Persistent overheating should not be blamed on old-car design until ignition timing, mixture, coolant circulation and internal sediment have been checked.

Fuel tanks can shed rust and old sealant into the carburetor. Electrical reliability depends on sound battery cables, clean grounds and components suited to the car's original electrical architecture. Owners should resist fitting undersized modern cables, which can cause poor cranking even when the starter itself is serviceable.

Body, Frame and Wood Structure

The expensive part of a Phaeton restoration is often above the chassis. Door sag, cracked joints, distorted openings and loose sheet metal can reveal failed structural timber. Replacing wood correctly requires patterns, woodworking skill and repeated trial fitting of the doors, cowl, rear body and top assembly.

Inspect the frame around spring hangers, crossmembers, steering mounts and body attachment points for cracks, rust thinning and old welded repairs. Open bodies are particularly sensitive to a frame that has sagged or twisted. Door fit can deteriorate even when the body itself was rebuilt accurately if chassis alignment is wrong.

Top irons, windshield components and side-curtain frames can consume substantial time and money because they are body-specific and often missing. Reproduction fabric and fasteners are obtainable through the broader antique-car trade, but a universal top kit cannot replace absent metal patterns or incorrect bow geometry.

Service Planning

A DA requires regular chassis lubrication, fluid checks and brake inspection rather than modern extended service intervals. The owner's manual and factory lubrication chart should govern grease points and oil grades. Cars driven infrequently still need attention because brake fluid contamination, fuel deterioration and corrosion progress while the odometer remains still.

Buyer and Inspection Points

A Phaeton with tired paint but complete body hardware can be a better restoration candidate than a glossy car missing its top mechanism, tags and correct open-body fittings. The following checks focus on failures and omissions that materially affect authenticity, safety and restoration cost.

A road test should begin only after the brakes, tires and steering have been judged safe. Start from cold, observe oil and charging behavior, allow the engine to reach operating temperature, then assess clutch release, gear noise, axle whine and brake balance. A brief warm-engine demonstration can conceal hard starting, cooling faults and oil-control problems.

Collector and Market Relevance

The Phaeton generally attracts greater collector attention than a comparable DA sedan because it offers open motoring, four-door access and a lower survival rate. That preference does not erase condition. A complete, documented sedan can be a more rational purchase than an open car requiring a new wood structure, missing top hardware and unresolved title work.

Collectors tend to reward correct DA identification, an intact Phaeton body, original serial information, appropriate engine and running gear, complete weather equipment and restrained restoration finishes. Period colors, proper upholstery grain, accurate instruments and correct wheel and lamp details carry more weight than accessories added to imitate a higher specification.

Auction results can vary sharply because two cars described as restored may differ fundamentally beneath the paint. One may retain sound original wood, rebuilt hydraulics and documented identity, while another may have cosmetic upholstery over a distorted body and an engine of uncertain origin. Published sale prices therefore require close reading of condition and provenance rather than simple comparison by model year.

Exact DA Phaeton production totals are not consistently documented in readily available factory summaries. Claims that attach a precise rarity number to an individual car should be supported by primary production or body records.

Cultural Relevance and Club Use

The DA Phaeton belongs to the period when American open touring bodies ceded the family market to enclosed sedans. Its four doors and side curtains preserve the working format of the earlier touring car, while its six-cylinder engine and hydraulic brakes reflect the mechanical expectations of 1929.

The model has no major factory competition legacy and should not be dressed with invented racing history. Its modern cultural life is found instead in Antique Automobile Club of America events, Dodge Brothers marque groups, preservation classes, regional tours and prewar-car gatherings. These communities are also where owners exchange parts-book information, number-range research and patterns for otherwise unobtainable body pieces.

Period-style touring modifications sometimes include discreet safety equipment or improved internal materials, but visible hot-rodding substantially changes the collector proposition. Because an intact Phaeton body is difficult to replace, irreversible chopping, drivetrain substitution and removal of original hydraulic-brake components carry a greater historical cost than reversible touring changes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What engine is fitted to the 1929-1930 Dodge Brothers DA Six Phaeton?

It uses a naturally aspirated L-head inline-six displacing approximately 208.4 cubic inches. Published period specifications commonly rate it at 63 bhp at 3,000 rpm, with a 3.25-inch bore and 4.1875-inch stroke.

What does the DA designation mean on an early Dodge?

DA is the Dodge Brothers series designation for this passenger-car family. It is not a modern VIN code, and it should not be confused with the body number, engine number, larger contemporary Dodge series or the later DB designation.

How can a genuine DA Phaeton be distinguished from a converted sedan?

Check for coherent factory-style four-door open-body construction, proper door caps, windshield supports, folding-top mountings and side-curtain fittings. Measure the 112-inch wheelbase and compare serial, engine and body information with DA references. Cut sedan window frames, improvised upper body edges and mismatched top hardware are warning signs.

Did the Dodge DA Six have hydraulic brakes?

Yes. The DA used hydraulically operated internal-expanding drum brakes on all four wheels. Every component still requires inspection because corrosion, old hoses, contaminated linings and leaking cylinders can make a long-stored system unsafe.

Are parts available for a Dodge Brothers DA Six Phaeton?

Routine ignition, wiring, brake, bearing and engine-service items can often be sourced through antique Dodge specialists or adapted from correctly researched components. Phaeton-specific top irons, windshield hardware, door fittings, body wood and side-curtain frames are much harder to find and may require restoration or fabrication.

What are the most expensive DA Phaeton restoration problems?

Failed structural wood, a damaged frame, missing top hardware, an incomplete hydraulic-brake system and a worn or cracked engine can dominate the budget. Correcting a poorly converted or inaccurately rebuilt body is usually more involved than routine mechanical servicing.

What makes the DA Six Phaeton collectible?

It combines the 208.4-cubic-inch DA six-cylinder chassis and four-wheel hydraulic brakes with a four-door open body that survived in smaller numbers than the era's closed sedans. Collectors particularly value complete body hardware, documented identity, correct running gear and restoration work that preserves the Phaeton's original proportions.

Collector Takeaway

The DA Six Phaeton matters because it captures two opposing trends in one automobile. Its six-cylinder engine, hydraulic brakes and Chrysler-era corporate setting point toward the 1930s, while its four-door open body, removable curtains and exposed top mechanism belong to a form of family car that was rapidly disappearing from American showrooms.

Buy the body, identity and documentation before buying the shine. Engines and brakes can be rebuilt with patience, but a missing Phaeton structure, incorrect 112-inch chassis or fabricated history can consume years without producing an authentic DA. A complete, correctly identified example offers something few late-1920s cars combine so convincingly: practical four-passenger touring and the unfiltered mechanical rhythm of Dodge's early six-cylinder era.