Chrysler manufactured the Dodge Caravan, one of the first successful mass-produced minivans, launched in 1983.
The Caravan was introduced alongside the Plymouth Voyager. Both vehicles used a front-wheel-drive layout and a tall, boxy body that provided more interior room than a typical station wagon while remaining easier to drive and park than a full-size van.
Lee Iacocca and Chrysler designer Hal Sperlich were important figures behind the minivan program. The vehicles were built on a car-derived platform, which helped give them passenger-car handling and a lower floor than many traditional vans.
The Caravan is often called the first minivan, but that wording can be too broad because earlier compact vans existed. Its important distinction was commercial success in a family-oriented, mass-market format. Chrysler’s design helped establish the minivan as a major American vehicle category during the 1980s.