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Minivans: Dodge Caravan, Plymouth Voyager, Chrysler Town & Country

Chrysler invented the minivan - twice. As Richard Moss wrote, Chrysler was working with Matra on a European minivan in the early 1980s; just before its launch, Chrysler Europe, including Matra, was sold to Peugeot-Citroen (PSA). Renault picked up the design, and made Europe's most popular minivan - starting in the same year as the Plymouth Voyager and Dodge Caravan. While there had been small vans in the past, the first minivans are generally acknowledged as being the Plymouth Voyager/Dodge Caravan and the (via Matra) Renault Espace. (See minivan history and development.)

minivan assembly line

From 1987 through 2007, there were two varieties of Chrysler minivan: the standard variety, and the longer "Grand" version (which includes the Town & Country). In 2008, only the Grands were left. Engines now range from a 3.3 liter flexible-fuel V6 to a 4.0 liter six, with a diesel sold outside North America; transmissions are a four speed automatic for the 3.3 and a six speed automatic for the 3.8 and 4.0. The whole hodgepodge will be replaced by Pentastar V6 engines hooked up to six speed automatics, with diesels for Europe.

Watch minivans being made

Minivan information: Dodge Caravan, Plymouth Voyager, Chrysler Town & Country

1997 plymouth voyager



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