Dodge 500

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The Dodge 500 was a medium-duty truck introduced in 1964 and built by Dodge in the UK .

Dodge 500 with low-entry cab built in 1968, also marketed as Dodge K.

History and Development

The Dodge 500 was developed in the early 1960s; the design came from Ghia , the development of the mechanical components from the Rootes group in Kew . All wheels were suspended from leaf springs, with additional auxiliary springs at the rear if required. The front-wheel drive truck had a diesel engine that sat under the driver's cab, which was set far forward. This was known for its design, space and comfort. It had large windows with a good view of the street and the engine took up little space under the driver's cab. It was released in December 1964. The customers only got the cars primed and had them painted and superstructured according to their own wishes.

The Dodge 500 was popular in the UK and was also exported. In some cases it wore Commer , DeSoto or Fargo trademarks . The vehicles were sold as a chassis with a cabin and the customers then took care of the superstructures, etc.

The loading capacity started at 11 t for the two-axle vehicle and extended through the three-axle vehicle with 16 t to the truck with 30 t. Those who wanted less payload were referred to the Dodge 100 .

With the help of suppliers, a special aluminum-steel alloy was developed to keep the weight of the chassis as low as possible. Cross members made of tube and U-profile were screwed to the side members. The leaf spring mounts were also screwed to the cross members, where possible. Diesel engines from Cummins and Perkins were installed.

Buyers could choose between Cummins V6 and V8 diesels that delivered 130-170 bhp (96-125 kW) and the British Perkins diesels with 120 bhp (88 kW). All of these engines were very reliable. The transmission was manual.

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