The centennial of the Dodge brand will be celebrated April 9-12 at the AutoFair at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where the Nationwide Showcase Pavilion will be home to more than a dozen historic models representing each decade Dodge has been in production.
Some of the featured vehicles include a 1923 Dodge/Graham truck, 1951 Power Wagon, 1996 Viper and a replica of the 1969 “General Lee” Dodge Charger from the “Dukes of Hazzard” television series.
Dodge is one of only six American nameplates to reach the century mark, joining Cadillac, Ford, Buick, Chevrolet and GMC. Dodge engineers were responsible for a number of innovations, including the first all-steel roof, “Floating Power” engine mounting, fully insulated rubber body mounts, automatic overdrive transmission and pushbutton transmission shifter.
The brand also has had racing victories and high-performance milestones, such as a fully realized aerodynamic race package (the 1968 Charger Daytona), the V10 Viper sports car and the 2015 Challenger Hellcat, with a 707-horsepower Hemi V8 that makes it the most powerful passenger car ever offered by an American automaker.
The AutoFair will feature more than 50 car club displays and more than 10,000 vendor spaces offering an array of automotive parts and memorabilia. More than 1,500 collectible vehicles of all makes and models will be available for sale in the car corral that rings the 1.5-mile speedway. In addition, up to 200 cars will be auctioned by Dealer Auctions Inc., and kids can enjoy face-painting, bounce houses, and other games and entertainment in the Play Zone.
For more information visit the Charlotte Motor Speedways site.
