25 Years and Still Going Strong

Chrysler’s segment-creating minivan hits the quarter century mark.

The year was 1983. Ronald Reagan was President. The Internet was created. The first mobile phones were introduced. The Baltimore Orioles won the World Series. And Chrysler hit a home run of its own with the introduction of the first minivan.

Chrysler was the first to market with the new minivan concept 25 years ago, but the development of the minivan began even earlier than that in 1977. In the late 1970s, baby boomers were starting families in large numbers and were looking for economical transportation alternatives. Traditional sedans and wagons were getting smaller due to emissions and fuel economy standards. But full-size vans generally offered poor ride quality and a rear-wheel-drive configuration that proved less than ideal for comfortable family transportation.

So Chrysler designers zeroed in on a concept that would prove to be immensely successful: A “magic wagon” as it was called at the time that was fuel efficient, easy to step into, family friendly and smaller than the full-size Dodge Ram Van/Wagon. The platform theme that emerged placed the entire powertrain ahead of the passenger compartment—quite unique in the late 1970s. The result? A flat cargo floor and easy step-in height for comfortable family hauling.

The rest, as they say, is history. To date, Chrysler has minted more than 12 million copies and collected more than 260 awards, including the 2008 “Minivan of the Year” award from the International Car of the Year organization.