Instant Alert: Let's wish the minivan a happy 32nd birthday

MANAGE SUBSCRIPTIONS   |   UNSUBSCRIBE   |   VIEW ONLINE   Let's wish the minivan a happy 32nd birthday by Benjamin Zhang on Nov 3, 2015, 3:30 PM Advertisement This week in 1983, the first minivan rolled off out the factory at Chrysler. The Plymouth Voyager and Dodge Caravan transformed mobility for the suburban American family.  Today, the minivan is a staple of the American suburban landscape. But just a couple of decades ago, the idea of a van with the driving dynamics of a car was truly revolutionary.  At its peak in 2000, automakers sold nearly 1.4 million minivans to American families. Although the crossover SUV has taken over as the sales leader for the family car market, there are still plenty of buyers that prefer the utility and car-like driving experience of the minivan. Here's how the minivan came to be.  In 1974, Ford president Lee Iacocca and a team of engineers headed by Hal Sperlich saw the need for a front-wheel-drive, car-based family van. Fortune Sperlich's team concocted a special prototype van. Since Ford didn't have a front-wheel-drive platform on which the van could be built, they instead used a chassis and engine from Honda. Iacocca, who has been credited as the force behind the Ford Mustang, was an auto industry titan by the early 1970s ... See the rest of the story at Business Insider   Share the latest business news with your network: Email sent to:   |   Manage your email preferences   |   Unsubscribe Terms of Service   |   Privacy Policy Business Insider. 150 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011