The UK commercial vehicle industry was going through a tough time in the 1970s and, as if things weren’t tough enough for the industry in general, they were even worse for Chrysler UK, the parent company of Dodge. Dodge Trucks had already undergone some big changes during the previous decade with the closure of its spiritual home at Kew and the transfer of production to the former Rootes (Commer/Karrier) plant in Boscombe Road, Dunstable.
Chrysler, which had been buying into the Rootes Group since 1964, finally gained a controlling share in 1967. The Americans brought with them the Dodge commercial vehicle brand, which, naturally, they sought to integrate into the former Rootes Commer/Karrier business. This was a complex and rather messy
