Karrier Motors and Dodge Cars and Trucks in the UK

by L. Busteed

Karrier Motors started life in 1904 in Hudersfield as Clayton and Company. In 1908 they started making Karrier cars and in 1920 changed their name to Karrier Motors Ltd. After a couple of takeover bids in 1934, the Rootes Group aquired Karrier and, in their standard fashion, moved production to Luton, closing the Hudersfield operation.

Dodge came to the UK in 1922 and started out importing American Dodge build ups to build at a production line in Fulham; the local assembly moved to Park Royal and later to Kew. Dodges built there known as Dodge Kews.

In 1965 production moved to Dunstable where Commer / Dodge and Karrier were all brought together. The Dodge badge was used more and by the mid-1970s, it was on all Commer / Karrier / Dodge vehicles. By then, Rootes Group had been acquired by Chrysler.

The 50 series was the result of subsidies by the British goverment in 1975/76, giving Dodge / Karrier / Commer a boost in developing a 3.5 to 7.5 tonne range of vehicles to help keep the UK truck building business on an even keel. It came out in 1979, badged as a Dodge but with a Karrier nameplate, just in time for Peugeot's acquisition of Chrysler Europe, which included Rootes and Simca. In January 1980, all Commer / Karrier / Dodge vehicles officially became Talbot. Peugeot had no interest in truck building and sold it on to Renault in 1981; but for 1980, the 50 series was still badged as a Dodge under the Talbot name. In 1983, it switched to being sold as a Dodge under the Renault name, and in 1985 the Renault logo joined the nameplate; but the Dodge name was retained until 1987, when the trucks were replaced by the New 50 series, badged as Renaults only. Due to poor sales, the entire line was shut down in March 1993, with the line becoming the UK distribution center for French-built tractor units. The production line was taken away in 1994 by a Chinese group, and presumably Dodge medium duty trucks are now being produced in China. (For more details, see dodge50.co.uk.)

More on Chrysler in the UK / Rootes Group site — 
See Historic Journey: From South Africa to London via Karrier Gamecock

---

---