- When Chrysler introduced the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager in 1983, the company was on the brink of collapse. It was a situation that sounds like it could have come from yesterday’s headlines: the company was nearly bankrupt and surviving off a $1.5 billion loan from Uncle Sam.
- Although Chrysler may have been the first to market with the minivan...they didn’t invent the idea of the miniature van.
- But in 1983 when Chrysler introduced the Voyager and the Caravan...they almost literally created the mold for the minivan. Not only that, but they created an entirely new market. The vehicle wasn’t sexy and it wasn’t even that great of a car, but it was an immediate success.
- Indeed, Chrysler couldn’t make them fast enough, and drivers waited weeks for the minivan. It was a practical car that the baby boomers needed.
- The success of the minivan helped bring the company back from the edge of bankruptcy.
- As the minivan turns 30, its story seems more relevant now than ever. Hopefully, history will repeat itself and Detroit will once again start producing some exciting, game-changing automobiles.
Who knew? Read the full history here (from Smithsonian Magazine).
