I was seven years old when in 1984, a friend’s mother showed up at school one morning in her brand new 1984 Plymouth Voyager. Burgundy color, inside and out, with velvet seats and window surround painted black. Already a car enthusiast at that age, I remember being impressed by this futuristic and very cool, while my father was driving a vulgar Hyundai Pony, yet it was also brand new.
I even remember the face of Patrick (the owner’s son), proud to get out of the van as the door slid, as if he were the star of the school.
At that time, such was the perception that people had of this new kind of vehicle, which would literally change the automotive landscape of the 1980s. Naturally, these Canadian-made vans were going to multiply at breakneck speed on the road network and in residential neighborhoods, while, shortly afterwards, Chevrolet and Ford responded in turn with vans (Astro and Aerostar) borrowing their structure from compact pickup trucks.
A considerable distinction compared to the front-wheel-drive Chrysler products, which used a unibody-type platform.
The merits of this less energy-consuming, more compact vehicle that could be parked in the garage of the home were touted, at a time when the latter were much less spacious than those of today. Chrysler has also innovated, over the years, by introducing new technologies to stay ahead of the competition which, for more than 30 years, has tried to outdo it.
Think of the launch of an elongated model (Grand Caravan/Voyager), the arrival of a second sliding door on the driver’s side, the Stow N’Go seats that fold into the floor or the offer of all-wheel-drive versions.
For decades, Chrysler minivans have won over families because of their versatility, but also because fathers and mothers loved driving them and being seen behind the wheel. However, the tide turned in the early 2000s, when SUVs massively landed on the market. Although less practical and often more expensive, the latter would quietly condemn several vans to death, those of Ford and GM among others, which stretched the sauce for a long time.
Despite this waning interest, Chrysler proved in 2008 that the minivan still had a place, introducing a new generation of the Dodge Grand Caravan and the Chrysler Town & Country, which would once again be a runaway success.
Built until February 2020, the Dodge Grand Caravan lasted more than twelve years without redesign, providing a practical and affordable means of transport for North American families until its demise. It also continued its career in parallel with that of the Chrysler Pacifica, introduced in 2016.
A new generation van sold much more expensive this time, and which aimed to change the negative image of the family van. It must be said that in the mid-2010s, few mothers wanted to drive a van, regardless of the brand. We only wanted SUVs, although these could never offer the same versatility.
In November 2023, Chrysler will celebrate the 40e birthday of his van. The one that, since day one, has been the pride of the workers at the Windsor plant, located in Ontario. Now, this 40e anniversary is likely to be the last we will celebrate, since it seems obvious that the days of this van are now numbered.
Indeed, with a price exceeding the psychological threshold of $50,000 (when we were sold a Grand Caravan for less than $30,000 in 2020), the Pacifica already sold since 2016 is now at the end of its life. And it’s clear that Stellantis has no plans to overhaul the model, instead focusing on electrification and more lucrative models, especially from Jeep and Ram.
What fate is in store for the Ontario plant in Windsor? For now, rumors point to a move to electrification, perhaps to manufacturing the future Chrysler Airflow. Certainly, no new van in sight. This would mean that the field would be left open to Honda, Kia and Toyota, the only three other brands to market – in 2023 – family vans.
Finally, know that in 2022, barely 22,000 vans found takers in the country. Of that number, about 50% were Chryslers. We can even wonder about the survival of the segment, which nevertheless remains relevant, although buyers are becoming rarer.