Which 1984 vehicles introduced Chrysler’s modern front-wheel-drive minivan concept?

The 1984 Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager introduced Chrysler’s modern front-wheel-drive minivan concept.

Chrysler launched the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager for the 1984 model year. They combined a car-like front-wheel-drive platform with a tall body, sliding side door, three-row seating, and substantial cargo flexibility. This formula made the minivan a practical family vehicle rather than a truck-derived passenger carrier.

The two models were mechanically related and were sold through Dodge and Plymouth dealerships. Their success created a major new market in North America and encouraged competing manufacturers to develop similar vehicles.

They were not the first vehicles in history to carry several rows of passengers in a van-shaped body. Earlier designs, including the Volkswagen Type 2 and the 1936 Stout Scarab, had explored related ideas. Chrysler’s achievement was making the modern car-based minivan format a mass-market success.