Chevrolet introduced the rear-wheel-drive Astro minivan in 1985.
The Astro was developed as a compact van positioned below Chevrolet’s full-size van line. It shared its basic rear-wheel-drive architecture with the GMC Safari, giving General Motors a smaller van for families and commercial users.
Unlike many later minivans, the Astro did not use a front-wheel-drive layout. Its truck-like construction, rear-wheel drive, and available all-wheel drive helped it serve both passenger and cargo roles. Chevrolet marketed passenger versions alongside commercial Astro Cargo models.
The Astro is often grouped with front-wheel-drive minivans because it competed in the same broad market. That classification is misleading: its rear-drive design and body-on-frame construction made it mechanically closer to a compact truck-based van.