Fargo Trucks

Not to be confused with Wells Fargo.
Fargo FK2-33 Truck 1946
Australian Fargo De Luxe Utility
Fargo Power Wagon truck in Batey ha-Osef Museum, Israel

Fargo was a brand of truck originally produced in the United States in 1913 by the Fargo Motor Car Company. Dropped in 1922, the name was reintroduced for a line of trucks manufactured by the Chrysler Corporation after purchasing Fargo Motors in 1928. Later, Chrysler absorbed Dodge and started producing its truck line, so over time Fargo trucks became rebadged Dodges, similar to the parallel sale by General Motors of its GMC and Chevrolet truck lines.

History

The first Fargo trucks were built in Pilsen, Chicago by the Fargo Motor Car Company from 1913 until 1922. In 1928 Chrysler bought the business and created their own line of Fargo trucks.[1] Shortly after its creation, Chrysler also bought the Dodge Brothers Company, adding Dodge and Graham Brothers badged trucks to its product line.

From then on, Fargo trucks were almost identical to Dodge models, save for trim and name, and were sold by Chrysler-Plymouth dealers. U.S. sales were discontinued in the 1930s, but the name Fargo was used until 1972 for Canada, and lived longer for other countries around the world under the Chrysler Corporation's badge engineering marketing approach.

While made in Detroit at the Lynch Road facility, Dodge trucks were also offered as Fargo (or De Soto) in most of the Latin America countries, while in Europe and Asia were mainly the ones made in Chrysler's Kew (UK) plant, which is a suburb of London; those sold with either Fargo or DeSoto badges.

In Australia both American and British Dodge models along with locally assembled units were marketed by Chrysler Australia with Dodge, Fargo or De Soto badges.

Additionally, heavy trucks made in Spain by Chrysler Spanish subsidiary, including a 38-tonne tractor and rigids four, six and eighth-wheelers, sold in the UK as Dodge 300 Series, were exported to several countries badged as Fargo.

Everything came to an end when Dodge pulled out of the American heavy truck business in 1976, and in 1978 Chrysler Europe was sold to PSA Peugeot Citroën.

Turkey

Main article: Askam (trucks)

The Fargo brand existed in Turkey for years well into the 21st century, as Fargo and De Soto light and heavy trucks were made by Turkish manufacturer Askam, with no technical or business connection with Chrysler[2] in the last years. However Askam was the descendant of Chrysler Kamyon Montaj Fabrikası founded in 1964 at Istanbul.

Apparently Askam went out of business in 2015, making the LDV Maxus van being the last Fargo badged (as Fargo Fora) vehicle offered in the world .

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ "Fargo trucks". allpar.com. Retrieved Sep 17, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Askam Kamyon Imalat" [Askam Truck Manufacturing]. Retrieved Sep 17, 2012.

External References


Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fargo vehicles.


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