It definitely got Chrysler out of the red. If it wasn’t for Ford firing Lee Iacocca and Hal Sperlich in the 70s, there wouldn’t be a minivan today. Heard the first generation Chrysler minivans derived from a concept vehicle Ford had in the early to mid 70s called the Carrosel, which was a smaller garagable van based on the 1975-91 Econoline vans when they took the design ideas with them.
minivans are amazing. it took a lot of courage to make it since nobody else was brave enough to pull the trigger. people knew they wanted it but nobody made it until 1984! I love my minivan.
I was about 5 when these came out, they were EVERYWHERE! my parents ended up with one a couple years later in the Grand caravan version. Good people movers
Wolverine 777: Minivans (particularly Penstar ones) were the rage in the 1980s/early 90s. There simply was no other vehicle that could cram lots of people,handle like a car,and with decent MPG. I remember clearly when the Dealers had few of them on their Lots. And the ones they had on their Lots had $5,000+ markups.Anything they ordered or got off the truck,retail buyers bought whatever they had...ditto that for the Jeep XJ...both vehicles which were responsible for keeping Chrysler afloat and underwriting the all-new 90s Ram,Jeep GC,LHs,JAs,Neons, PT Cruiser,etc. Even with 3 shifts, for the XJ and Minivan...Chrysler struggled to keep-up with demand before the Windstar and Exploder came along. Jeep XJ and Minivan were cash cows for Chrysler then...as they cost nothing to manufacture.
I just recently sold my Dodge Mini Ram, utility van 1984. I bought it used in 2004 for $800, had 30k miles. Sold it as is for $500 in 2017, it served me very well, moving people in and out of college, doing clean outs, hauling yard waste, it did have issues with the brake system. But I miss it for the simplicity and 80's charm! Thanks
daphlavor nice, I bought an 82’ AMC Eagle in 2008 for $400 and it’s still my daily. Love it for your same reasons; simplicity and how it stands out in modern traffic
Rookie To Pro - The “styles” of today are largely dictated by accident safety regulations and aero efficiency. That likely won’t change in the future, and most people will have been conditioned to think bulbous, bloated shapes are cool, much like the average new car buyer now... They may even be amazed that travelers once drove themselves. The rest of us will yearn for the age when style still ruled the road.
As I watch this in 2020, this vehicle is now 36 years old. By extension, that would be the same as comparing a new 1984 model to a vehicle built in 1948! I would say there has been far less automotive “change” from 1984-2020 than there was from 1948-1984! And based on that, I would venture to guess there will be even LESS change between the 2020 and 2056 models.....!!!!
These instantly became THE suburban vehicle to have. Still the most practical vehicle format on the road, I know guys use them to haul and courier. When they first came out I went to the dealer with my dad. Nothing left to test drive or see, even their literature was picked clean. All the guy had to show us was some floor display showing outlines of this, a full-size, and a wagon overlaid to compare size. He said foot traffic was just beyond belief. So simple, yet Chrysler would own this segment for 15 years before the competition got real.
My dad had an '85 SE when I was growing up. When it was new I remember guys used to approach him at gas stations to get a closer look and ask how much he liked it, and he would go on and on about how much he loved it.
Before crossovers ruined the idea. Oh yeah... have fun crawling into that third row with no sliding door because you didn’t want a minivan. Have to get the AWD model too... because no urban assault vehicle is complete without it.
+Bartonvich52 The first crossover made was the 1980-1988 AMC Eagle Wagon. Every one back then laughed at little AMC for the Eagle. Now 30+ years later the crossovers are in every manufacture's line up. So I guess AMC was way ahead of their time. AMC had the first AWD car as this oh I forgot that was the EAGLE TOO.
Oh wow..brings back memories. My folks bought on of these when they first came out. Though it looks small now, it really did have a ton of room and versatility and that van went everywhere including several moves where it was packed full. It's too bad that minivans have a rather negative stereotype now as I think they really are they best combination of space and versatility for sure.
I had both. The van with the turbo and the rear seats out, was faster than my '73 Vette that weighed 3600 lbs with the L-48 350. 2.5 litre is 158 CI . A Limo with the middle seat out. Both were the same length and width shockingly.
Awww yes, the one that started it all.... had an '85 caravan growing up as a kid. You could pretty much put a brick on the accelerator rolling down the interstate and not be in danger of a speeding ticket, even with the 2.6. 3rd row seating means you can have up to 6 people get out and push, and it needed it. Ours didn't have 3rd row, but instead had a bench that would unfold all the way to the tailgate making a substantially sized bed.
@@gerardoquispeviveros8521 Correct. 104 horsepower pulling a 3380lb (as tested) van. 0-60mph is 14 sec. Our speedlimits opened up to 75mph some time ago, and it was very seldom that my parents had to back off the throttle because they were exceeding 80mph.
True, and in my case where I live in Vancouver, Canada, a house costs nearly 10 times the price of a house here in 1984 and that's with the price adjusted for inflation. Many smaller things have come down in price, but most of the big purchase items have gone up, not to mention like you said, salaries being pretty much stagnated in a number of industries.
Ronald Reagan convinced you everything was ok as he gutted the middle class at the behest of corporate America. Don’t worry if Joe Unemployed won’t buy your widgets.. a taxpayer funded bailout is coming your way.
My dad purchased one of the last model years of this type of van when I was a teenager. I would "borrow" it ..lol.. I would turn the wheel first slightly then floor it to try and spin the wheels..lol.. it worked...the transmission failed when my dad was driving it months later...😐😐
The automatic transmissions were always weak in them. I recommend installing a auxiliary fluid cooler, changing the fluid every 30K miles, and use ATF4+ instead of ATF3+ as it's superior and cost about the same if not less. The most important thing is to try to avoid hard acceleration and if it's "hunting gears" on a hill shift into a lower gear till you're over it.
My mom and dad bought a V6 Grand Caravan in 1988. She had it until 1992, when she got a Ford Explorer for the 4wd, as we had a house in Tahoe at the time. After her Explorer, my mom had a range of Jags and Benzes. She always said, she wished she kept her van because she love it the most.
Say what you will about Chrysler’s today, these vans are legendary. We had a 1998 Grand Voyager and we had it for 11 years and when we finally got rid of it, it had 312k and still ran without issue. Never learned anything the fate of it. Hope it’s still kicking.
Gibby Kritz I had an 01 Town and Country. Took it on a ten state trip in the summer of 2017. Not a single issue until I got home and on the way home from paying for the tags and a smog, some lady in an 06 Chrysler PT Cruiser rear ended me and totaled my low mileage pristine van. Still very sad about losing my van, which by the way had a brand new headliner and two brand new headlights to replace the old headliner which was starting to show signs of coming down. Headlights were getting foggy, so new ones. Kept up on things so it would always stay looking and running nice. Oh well.
My parents picked up a salesman's 88 Voyager LE with the 3.0 in 90. I liked the way it drove so much I pondered one lowered with better tires. It was revolutionary. My mother's employer had a few of the 2.5 turbo models. All that drove them kept getting speeding tickets. Lol. Ford was stupid to let Lee Iacocca get away with this concept.
Lol. That's basic service for these vans. Was given a clean '95 with 90,000 miles that needed a tranny. Put one in and a "few" other things that a 20+ year old vehicles needs and vehicle runs beautifully (for now).
Pat Treu ➡️ You are so right! My father had 1984 Plymouth voyager brand new and he got over 335,000 miles . It probably would have gone more ., but we ended up selling it when my dad past away
By early 80's america had already suffered 2 fuel (and economic) crisis, and people were simple buying every small, the tall seating height did manage to seat it apart from wagons of the era
Essentially the van industry coming full circle. When the "Minivan" was introduced by Chrysler Corporation in 1984/1985 is was a miniaturized version of the full sized van to replace the family full sized station wagon which it did but now 35 years later the Minivan is becoming the same size as the full sized vans of 1984/1985 that the Minivan was to be a miniature of. I have the 2000 Chrysler Town and Country LX Extended Minivan which was the last year of the largest size class Minivan as in 2001 Chrysler Corporation shortened the length of the Town and Country and in 2016 replaced it with the Chrysler Pacifica which is also shorter in height.
@@roya.cathcartjr.5042 I don't think this is correct at all. THey are longer. But then they introduced the long wheel base Grand Caravan in the late 80s and produced both for about 20 years before dropping the short version in 2008. I have had 4 Chrysler minivans over the years. 1991, second generation, 1998 third generation. 2008 4th generation and now a 2018. They have all been about the same size expect the 1998 was the short version.
Lee Iacocca had been working on the exact same concept over at Ford in the mid 70's. Front wheel drive, transverse engine, same idea. I don't know if they ever got around to making a test mule, but there were numerous sketches that looked almost exactly like the 1984 Chrysler minivan.
Related: In the '70s Ford came close to fielding an Econoline derived minivan that they called the Carousel. Mule(s) were made and, while I don't know if any still survive, pictures still do. It was a classy looking thing; imagine an Aerostar with an Econoline nose and you're pretty close to what it looked like. From what I read, it was cancelled at the 11th hour because of fears it would hurt station wagon sales. This was at a time when Ford branded itself "The Wagonmaster" in advertising and their Country Squire was a massive, in more ways than one, suburban status symbol.
@@MallocFree90 So don't crash it. Tired of everything having to be designed around Becky doing 95 on her cell phone and flipping it off a guardrail so she can walk away and do it again.
Princip Warehouse You’re tired of cars getting safer. Newsflash buddy, cars getting better safety technology doesn’t just protect Becky, it protects you and your dumbass. Oh but wait you just won’t crash your car because as we all know it’s just that simple.
Princip Warehouse You’re tired of cars getting safer. Newsflash buddy, cars getting better safety technology doesn’t just protect Becky, it protects you and your dumbass. Oh but wait you just won’t crash your car because as we all know it’s just that simple.
Wow this bring back child hood memories., my father bought this same exact one and year brand new , but his was all leather seats . He taught me how to drive with this van when I eventually turn 16 years . Miss those days 😞
My father had a 1986 Dodge Caravan SE that was red with black at bottom. Plymouth advertised it as the magic wagon. It is a van based on a car platform, so it operates more like a car then truck/van.
My parent's 89 Grand Caravan fixed many of the initial issues of the introductory models. 141hp/172 tq Mitsu V6 was a great increase in power without killing mileage and the "Grand" trim's extra wheelbase gave enough room to close the hatch on 8' materials. One thing they hadn't addressed was braking - the Grand w/V6 weighed a decent amount more and the brakes weren't great, you had to lean on them hard with a load of people on the highway.
At 64" high it was almost a foot taller than a typical sedan or wagon of the day. This was the leading edge of the return of chair-height seats and minimal ducking to get in which are a big part of the appeal of crossovers.
My parents had a 1989 Plymouth Voyager. Bought it brand new. I grew up riding in that van as well as my sisters learning how to drive in that van. Wish I had the opportunity to learn to drive in that van, but it was sold back in 2000 for a Ford Taurus.
My Dad had an 86 LE with the Mitsubishi engine. It was pretty quick for the time and had decent torque. But the cylinder head issues these engines had made my Dad kinda baby it. The dealer replaced the cylinder head due to a crack between the intake and exhaust valves at 35k miles. He got about 85k miles out it before a woman in a Chevy Celebrity crashed into it in 1996 an totalled the van. But even with this vans reliability issues my family still had allot of good memories from all the road trips we went on. I still remember those seats to they were like couches! Car seats should be like that today. This van was just from a simpler and better time.
My parents bought one in 1989 and had it for 14 years with zero issues. Basically drove it until they wanted something new. My entire childhood was in this van. It was white with the baby blue interior. Parents gave it to my grandparents in Mexico then they died. It was sold. I saw it like a year ago on the streets in Mexico and it looks bad lol. Spray painted gray, no bumpers, dented everywhere but still going. I lowkey want to buy it, imported back to the U.S and restore it.
I grew up in the 70's and was out of high school when these hit the streets. I remember thinking, wow how practical compared to a huge station wagon (we had a 1973 Ford Ranch Wagon which I loved). I thought it wasn't so pretty but I think anyone with half a brain knew it was the demise of the full size wagon. If you think about it, it was responsible for the nice pickups of today also. When the station wagon died, you couldnt tow as much with the mini van as a full size wagon. Families used to pack their kids and luggage into a wagon and pull a camper. That was asking too much of the mini vans back then. So manufacturers started adding more seating to pickups (yes they already had crew cabs in the one tons) but started making them more in the half ton chassis with more options. Thank you Chrysler for the awesome trucks we have now! Lol
My cousin's dad had a light blue 1986 Plymouth Voyager with running boards and he took really good care of it, still looked new when he finally sold it in 1997.
The 1st Gen Chrysler minivans is a timeless design. That is, it's proportions and shape give it a clean design while allowing maximum space for it's size and a hood that allows access to the engine. When Chrysler kept updating the design, the hood got smaller and the engine bay harder to access. They could make a new minivan with the same overall exterior design and it would sell. I had a 1985 Plymouth Voyager which was just like the tester with the 2.6L and the extra seats. Yeah it wasn't fast. I believe the 0-60 mph of 14 secs. Top speed was 95 mph. I never got 29 mpg. More like 25 mpg. The Chrysler minivans didn't get decent power until the 3.0L Mitsubishi V6 was added. Once the rear seats were removed, had plenty of cargo room. I fit a full sofa in the back (with rear hatched closed) when I was moving. The larger 3 person folding seat was pretty heavy to remove. Like 70 lbs. The spare tire was underneath the back and lowered on a cable from underneath. You pulled up the carpet in the back inside and there was a hexagonal knob that you turned with the lug nut wrench to lower it. Only bad thing was that after a while the wheel and cable would get rusty from the rain and road salt thrown up under there so you had to try to wrap it in plastic. The seats didn't have head restraints but where otherwise comfortable with fold down armrests. Funny how it came with full gauges such as voltmeter and oil pressure gauge. Something most modern cars don't even have. Overall a very good design for the time .(was designed in Chryslers UK division) .
This one had nice seats. I remember back in 08 having to ride around in an early 2000s Caravan with base trim during the 90 degree humid Missouri summer, packed full of people going city to city moving U-Hauls around. Even with AC, the cramped conditions made it a fairly miserable experience. Now some of those full conversion vans in the 80's were pretty nice. The pastor of our church bought ones all decked out with captain's chairs, track lighting, extended roof with canopy, rear AC, you name it. Used them to travel to different AoG churches during the summer and never once did it felt miserable.
Saved Chrysler's bacon, Iacocca took Ford's idea(Ford was planning a mid-sized van in the early-mid 70s when Iacocca was president of Ford) with him to Chrysler, stroke of genius....
05gtdriver ummmm no. This wasn't fords idea. This was Lee's idea. In fact, Ford refused to make this, said it wasn't going to sell hence Lee going to Chrysler
@@Welcometofacsistube You forgot that it was Hal Sperlich who designed the minivan. Ioccoca was his manager and they both got fired from Ford and ended up at Chrysler.
@@mybigfatpolishlife It was Hal Sperlich that designed the vehicle after his trip to Europe where front wheel drive and smaller vehicles were dominant.
My favorite option on the 1984 Voyager was with the woodie trim exterior. I mean, it gave the new minivan a retro look of being easily able to haul a surfboard. However, between an $8,700 base price tag and my SSI check of in 1984 only $314 per month, the new minivan was definitely out of my price range then. Now I want the 2020 Chrysler Voyager with the standard Uconnect Touch system.
I learned to drive in a 1984 Plymouth Voyager SE, Glacier Blue Crystal Coat with the 2.4 litre. I'd buy one today if I could. Mom and Dad kept it for 20 years, 284,000 miles on it when she was sold. Truly the most innovative vehicle ever produced by Chrysler.
I have an 84 dodge caravan today. 2.2 liter manual trans. It has 365 thousand miles. I keep it as an extra toy vehicle. Only about 500-600 miles a year now. It’s fun complete with a Reagan/Bush 84 bumper sticker.
Drove an 84 with the 2.2 L and a 5 speed for service calls. It ran pretty decent for what it was. Put a ton of miles on it without spending much time in the shop. Later the company bought some Chevy Astro vans. Now those were just pure shit. They performed worse than the Caravan and spent numerous trips to the dealer for repairs.
When I was a kid we had a 1989 triple blue Caravan with the turbocharged 4 cylinder, which my dad bought after he sold his Mustang GT lol.. I remember that it was pretty fast for it's time. I'd love to own one again.
TY!!! yaaaaasss! see? they weren't all 3 spd 4 bangers with 100 hp. those were the low cost, econo cruisers. the turbo & v6 mopar mini v's were quite quick.
+alberty7139 I had a 1989 Plymouth Voyager SE with the 2.5L Shelby Turbo in it and it was fast brought in 1997 when I was in high school drove it until 2003 it had 90k miles when I brought it and 159k miles sold it. paid 1200.00 for it sold it for 2550.00 body was mint and inside was perfect and everything still worked. I remember smoking Mustang .5.0 's and Camaro 305 with this mini van.
What year did the overhead console with the digital compass and outside temp gauge come out? There was DTE (distance ‘till empty) and I think instant fuel economy. Plus the power rear window buttons were over head. Coolest part of these vans.
I would love to drive and ride in one of these today. I recently drove a 1987 Ford Taurus station wagon fat looked like it had been kept in a vault. It only had 60,000 miles on it but it was amazing at how Spartan and heavy it felt but back in the day it was so modern.
Wow... we had an '84 SE model, forgot they had the whiplash seats. Back when headrests were not mandatory. I don't even remember how we drove from NY to Niagara Falls in this thing. It served us well from '84-'90, when we totaled it one night in an accident with a deer.
I currently have a low mileage example of an 87 Mini Ram Van (3.0 V6) and absolutely love it! Have a had a few of these vans with the 2.6 4 cylinder. I would steer clear of any vans that happen to house this very poor engine choice.
..it's fun watching the Chrysler Corp vehicles in Retro Reviews & how revolutionary, cool and fun and loveable the vehicles were then. from the minivan to the viper, no apologies, just great cars. the shade & jealous, history revisionists can suck it. millions of ppl have owned & do own Mopars & love the heck out of them & for many great reasons..we ain't stopping bc you say so. neener :)
When these were brand brand new one of my best friend's parents had gotten one it was one of the first I ever saw up close. Weird compared to the up until then 'normal' (non-mini) vans but very practical and utilitarian.
![เจ็บที่ยังฮัก - ม่อน วรวิทย์ [ Official Mv ] จอนนี่มิวสิค](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/KALIGSRSjFs/mqdefault.jpg)
It may well be the most significant Chrysler product ever produced.
... and Chrysler had to dump it for the "Pacifica". I don't care what anyone says. It will ALWAYS be a Caravan!
Chrysler sold 12,000 Grand Caravans last month just in the US. AND 9000 Pacificas. They still own more than 1/2 the Minivan market.
wiibaron... still? I think most of it is by default because hardly anyone else makes minivans and those that do are priced out of the market.
Minivans are the same price as 3 row Cuvs.
It definitely got Chrysler out of the red. If it wasn’t for Ford firing Lee Iacocca and Hal Sperlich in the 70s, there wouldn’t be a minivan today. Heard the first generation Chrysler minivans derived from a concept vehicle Ford had in the early to mid 70s called the Carrosel, which was a smaller garagable van based on the 1975-91 Econoline vans when they took the design ideas with them.
Hard to believe that this van changed the car industry.
Brad Conklin 😂🤣
No, the espace did.
minivans are amazing. it took a lot of courage to make it since nobody else was brave enough to pull the trigger. people knew they wanted it but nobody made it until 1984! I love my minivan.
Alviniscute oh no doubt but seeing this van from a 2018 viewpoint is just funny
Brad Conklin It Did
Red or brown velour + fake exterior wood veneer = Awesome 1980s nostalgia
I was about 5 when these came out, they were EVERYWHERE! my parents ended up with one a couple years later in the Grand caravan version. Good people movers
My grandfather had an 87 Grand Caravan with the Mitsubishi 3.0L V6. He loved it! I remember many a summer traveling to Ocean City as a kid.
Did he love the amount of oil he had to buy for it?
The slalom pleases me. That's how I drove ours as a teenager. Ours had Goodyear Vector tires as well, and I don't know why I remember that.
The most iconic van of all time! Everyone had one of these when I was a kid, all of the cool parents had one and all of the kids would pile in them.
Acc0rd79 Everyone!
Wolverine 777:
Minivans (particularly Penstar ones) were the rage in the 1980s/early 90s. There simply was no other vehicle that could cram lots of people,handle like a car,and with decent MPG. I remember clearly when the Dealers had few of them on their Lots. And the ones they had on their Lots had $5,000+ markups.Anything they ordered or got off the truck,retail buyers bought whatever they had...ditto that for the Jeep XJ...both vehicles which were responsible for keeping Chrysler afloat and underwriting the all-new 90s Ram,Jeep GC,LHs,JAs,Neons, PT Cruiser,etc. Even with 3 shifts, for the XJ and Minivan...Chrysler struggled to keep-up with demand before the Windstar and Exploder came along. Jeep XJ and Minivan were cash cows for Chrysler then...as they cost nothing to manufacture.
Acc0rd79 - Most iconic van of all time? Evidently you’ve never heard of the A-Team. I pity the foo.
I wouldn’t say it’s as iconic as the Volkswagen Transporter or the Ford Transit, but it definitely was revolutionary!
That explains why my parents *didn't* have one!
One of the best vehicles Chrysler made.
Interior looks great, i love the seats.
I know, I could only imagine finding a mint condition one of these today. I would so love to find one. But they are all gone. None were spared.
@@yoseppijoe I was thinking that too, I’d actually love to find an old mint one but not many people were saving 80s minivans.
I just recently sold my Dodge Mini Ram, utility van 1984. I bought it used in 2004 for $800, had 30k miles. Sold it as is for $500 in 2017, it served me very well, moving people in and out of college, doing clean outs, hauling yard waste, it did have issues with the brake system. But I miss it for the simplicity and 80's charm! Thanks
daphlavor nice, I bought an 82’ AMC Eagle in 2008 for $400 and it’s still my daily. Love it for your same reasons; simplicity and how it stands out in modern traffic
I bought a 1988 volvo 240 dl 6.5 years ago for $200 drove it for 5 years sold it for $500 and the guy GAVE it back to e 6 months ago.
Other than rust, most cars last forever with normal maintenance.
Easily one of the coolest and most revolutionary vehicles ever made! This particular '84 Voyager is a really attractive box.
Over the Taurus/Sable?
Ya a really nice box
Watching these Retro reviews, makes me wonder how people will react seeing the styles & designs we have today?
Rookie To Pro This was in 1984, 34 years ago. The people in this video are still around....
Rookie To Pro - The “styles” of today are largely dictated by accident safety regulations and aero efficiency. That likely won’t change in the future, and most people will have been conditioned to think bulbous, bloated shapes are cool, much like the average new car buyer now... They may even be amazed that travelers once drove themselves. The rest of us will yearn for the age when style still ruled the road.
I was just thinking that today. What would they think about today.
Its interesting because there are some mid-2000s cars that I thought looked good at the time that look old to me now
As I watch this in 2020, this vehicle is now 36 years old. By extension, that would be the same as comparing a new 1984 model to a vehicle built in 1948! I would say there has been far less automotive “change” from 1984-2020 than there was from 1948-1984! And based on that, I would venture to guess there will be even LESS change between the 2020 and 2056 models.....!!!!
I love you, 1980s Motorweek.
Me too, i love Motor Week 1980s, roadtests of vehicles 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1992 is my favorite
These instantly became THE suburban vehicle to have. Still the most practical vehicle format on the road, I know guys use them to haul and courier. When they first came out I went to the dealer with my dad. Nothing left to test drive or see, even their literature was picked clean. All the guy had to show us was some floor display showing outlines of this, a full-size, and a wagon overlaid to compare size. He said foot traffic was just beyond belief. So simple, yet Chrysler would own this segment for 15 years before the competition got real.
My dad had an '85 SE when I was growing up. When it was new I remember guys used to approach him at gas stations to get a closer look and ask how much he liked it, and he would go on and on about how much he loved it.
@@ericbuist8218 Decades later I am finding men still love them, women hate them
"Licence to print Money!"
Man - this clip was recorded before the term “minivan” even existed......😂
Chrysler pulled engineering genius out of the hat with the T vans
Lee did
Love the grill on these. Looks sharp!
An 88 Voyager was my hand-me-down first car back in the late 90s. This brings back memories
I own new in 1984 and again in 1993 and 2005. Today 2016 Chrysler Town and Country minivan. Still enjoyable. Thank you
watching this in 2020 this van still looks and goes pretty good
It is so rare to see any first generation 1984 dodge caravans on the road anymore.
Because so many had been crushed and recycled by now.
Back when minivans were actually mini vans.
short wheelbase minivans are a rarity now
NV200
I believe they're called MPVs now? ike the Chevy Orlando and the Ford Cmax
Before crossovers ruined the idea. Oh yeah... have fun crawling into that third row with no sliding door because you didn’t want a minivan. Have to get the AWD model too... because no urban assault vehicle is complete without it.
+Bartonvich52 The first crossover made was the 1980-1988 AMC Eagle Wagon. Every one back then laughed at little AMC for the Eagle. Now 30+ years later the crossovers are in every manufacture's line up. So I guess AMC was way ahead of their time. AMC had the first AWD car as this oh I forgot that was the EAGLE TOO.
Oh wow..brings back memories. My folks bought on of these when they first came out. Though it looks small now, it really did have a ton of room and versatility and that van went everywhere including several moves where it was packed full. It's too bad that minivans have a rather negative stereotype now as I think they really are they best combination of space and versatility for sure.
3,300 lbs. for a seven passenger van with full seating, very impressive. Even a new Corvette weighs about that or more.
My 2014 sienna weighs around 4,600 lbs , it's a pig.
I had both. The van with the turbo and the rear seats out, was faster than my '73 Vette that weighed 3600 lbs with the L-48 350. 2.5 litre is 158 CI . A Limo with the middle seat out. Both were the same length and width shockingly.
My Toyota Camry weighs a little more than this van does.
Yes!@@march24-lp4pv
At the time they knew that it was a revolutionary vehicle!
Awww yes, the one that started it all.... had an '85 caravan growing up as a kid. You could pretty much put a brick on the accelerator rolling down the interstate and not be in danger of a speeding ticket, even with the 2.6. 3rd row seating means you can have up to 6 people get out and push, and it needed it. Ours didn't have 3rd row, but instead had a bench that would unfold all the way to the tailgate making a substantially sized bed.
My 1987 Voyager had the bench that folded into a bed. It was next to impossible to remove by myself and had to weigh over 100 lbs.
what do you mean? that it did not accelerate much?
@@gerardoquispeviveros8521 Correct. 104 horsepower pulling a 3380lb (as tested) van. 0-60mph is 14 sec. Our speedlimits opened up to 75mph some time ago, and it was very seldom that my parents had to back off the throttle because they were exceeding 80mph.
Mine was REALLY fast!
@@gerardoquispeviveros8521
I remember my parents having this van when I was a kid! They ran that thing until the wheels fell off... it was a great van back in the 80's
My mother had one in the 1980s. These were all over the place!!
Hearing the base price of that van gives me chills, thinking about what new cars today cost. Certainly much simpler times in the 80s
In todays money, this 1984 base price is around $20,000.
1984318i it still sounds way more reasonable
True, and in my case where I live in Vancouver, Canada, a house costs nearly 10 times the price of a house here in 1984 and that's with the price adjusted for inflation. Many smaller things have come down in price, but most of the big purchase items have gone up, not to mention like you said, salaries being pretty much stagnated in a number of industries.
Ronald Reagan convinced you everything was ok as he gutted the middle class at the behest of corporate America. Don’t worry if Joe Unemployed won’t buy your widgets.. a taxpayer funded bailout is coming your way.
Lol inflation
My family had a few Caravans and Voyagers when I was growing up, watching this brings back memories.
My dad purchased one of the last model years of this type of van when I was a teenager. I would "borrow" it ..lol.. I would turn the wheel first slightly then floor it to try and spin the wheels..lol.. it worked...the transmission failed when my dad was driving it months later...😐😐
The automatic transmissions were always weak in them. I recommend installing a auxiliary fluid cooler, changing the fluid every 30K miles, and use ATF4+ instead of ATF3+ as it's superior and cost about the same if not less. The most important thing is to try to avoid hard acceleration and if it's "hunting gears" on a hill shift into a lower gear till you're over it.
My mom and dad bought a V6 Grand Caravan in 1988. She had it until 1992, when she got a Ford Explorer for the 4wd, as we had a house in Tahoe at the time. After her Explorer, my mom had a range of Jags and Benzes. She always said, she wished she kept her van because she love it the most.
Acres of B R O W N.
Was that review from the 80's?
Say what you will about Chrysler’s today, these vans are legendary. We had a 1998 Grand Voyager and we had it for 11 years and when we finally got rid of it, it had 312k and still ran without issue. Never learned anything the fate of it. Hope it’s still kicking.
Gibby Kritz I had an 01 Town and Country. Took it on a ten state trip in the summer of 2017. Not a single issue until I got home and on the way home from paying for the tags and a smog, some lady in an 06 Chrysler PT Cruiser rear ended me and totaled my low mileage pristine van. Still very sad about losing my van, which by the way had a brand new headliner and two brand new headlights to replace the old headliner which was starting to show signs of coming down. Headlights were getting foggy, so new ones. Kept up on things so it would always stay looking and running nice. Oh well.
My parents picked up a salesman's 88 Voyager LE with the 3.0 in 90. I liked the way it drove so much I pondered one lowered with better tires. It was revolutionary. My mother's employer had a few of the 2.5 turbo models. All that drove them kept getting speeding tickets. Lol. Ford was stupid to let Lee Iacocca get away with this concept.
TURBO! FAST!
we got over 350,000 miles out of our 1985 Dodge caravan
Only had to change the transmission 11 times!
Lol. That's basic service for these vans. Was given a clean '95 with 90,000 miles that needed a tranny. Put one in and a "few" other things that a 20+ year old vehicles needs and vehicle runs beautifully (for now).
See of the most reliable vans ever
Pat Treu ➡️ You are so right! My father had 1984 Plymouth voyager brand new and he got over 335,000 miles . It probably would have gone more ., but we ended up selling it when my dad past away
We put just over that on an '86 base model with the 2.2. No transmission replacements, either, and it towed a small trailer quite often.
My parents had an 86 Plymouth Voyager with a 3.0 back in the day. ...haven't thought about that in years.
Had to have been an '87 if it had the 3.0.
The 3.0L: V-6 did not come until late 1987.
The first year for the Mitsubishi 3.0L V -6 was late 1987 models on up and the 3.3L came in 1990.
We had a '85 all decked out with running boards wire rim hub caps and bug deflector lol the Mitsubishi blew a head gasket after 120,000 miles 😓
ours ate it's piston rings and became a 2 stroke...
Those seem tiny by todays standards.
mcqueenfanman they are!
By early 80's america had already suffered 2 fuel (and economic) crisis, and people were simple buying every small, the tall seating height did manage to seat it apart from wagons of the era
Essentially the van industry coming full circle.
When the "Minivan" was introduced by Chrysler Corporation in 1984/1985 is was a miniaturized version of the full sized van to replace the family full sized station wagon which it did but now 35 years later the Minivan is becoming the same size as the full sized vans of 1984/1985 that the Minivan was to be a miniature of.
I have the 2000 Chrysler Town and Country LX Extended Minivan which was the last year of the largest size class Minivan as in 2001 Chrysler Corporation shortened the length of the Town and Country and in 2016 replaced it with the Chrysler Pacifica which is also shorter in height.
That cause people r fat
@@roya.cathcartjr.5042 I don't think this is correct at all. THey are longer. But then they introduced the long wheel base Grand Caravan in the late 80s and produced both for about 20 years before dropping the short version in 2008. I have had 4 Chrysler minivans over the years. 1991, second generation, 1998 third generation. 2008 4th generation and now a 2018. They have all been about the same size expect the 1998 was the short version.
Lee Iacocca had been working on the exact same concept over at Ford in the mid 70's. Front wheel drive, transverse engine, same idea. I don't know if they ever got around to making a test mule, but there were numerous sketches that looked almost exactly like the 1984 Chrysler minivan.
Related: In the '70s Ford came close to fielding an Econoline derived minivan that they called the Carousel. Mule(s) were made and, while I don't know if any still survive, pictures still do. It was a classy looking thing; imagine an Aerostar with an Econoline nose and you're pretty close to what it looked like. From what I read, it was cancelled at the 11th hour because of fears it would hurt station wagon sales. This was at a time when Ford branded itself "The Wagonmaster" in advertising and their Country Squire was a massive, in more ways than one, suburban status symbol.
only weighs 3000lbs! not even sports cars are that light anymore lol
yeah, you should crash it and see what happens :D
@@MallocFree90 Exactly right. That why new cars have put on the pounds, to do well in crashes.
@@MallocFree90 So don't crash it. Tired of everything having to be designed around Becky doing 95 on her cell phone and flipping it off a guardrail so she can walk away and do it again.
Princip Warehouse You’re tired of cars getting safer. Newsflash buddy, cars getting better safety technology doesn’t just protect Becky, it protects you and your dumbass. Oh but wait you just won’t crash your car because as we all know it’s just that simple.
Princip Warehouse You’re tired of cars getting safer. Newsflash buddy, cars getting better safety technology doesn’t just protect Becky, it protects you and your dumbass. Oh but wait you just won’t crash your car because as we all know it’s just that simple.
Makes me miss my 1988.
I'm away with the army right now so i miss everything about home
@Gator Johnso sure thing
Will do.
Only 3-4 more months.
Thank you for your service to our country. Safe travels and home safe before you know it
Wow this bring back child hood memories., my father bought this same exact one and year brand new , but his was all leather seats . He taught me how to drive with this van when I eventually turn 16 years . Miss those days 😞
My father had a 1986 Dodge Caravan SE that was red with black at bottom. Plymouth advertised it as the magic wagon. It is a van based on a car platform, so it operates more like a car then truck/van.
Exactly what we had. With the 2.6 liter mitsubishi engine.
My parent's 89 Grand Caravan fixed many of the initial issues of the introductory models. 141hp/172 tq Mitsu V6 was a great increase in power without killing mileage and the "Grand" trim's extra wheelbase gave enough room to close the hatch on 8' materials. One thing they hadn't addressed was braking - the Grand w/V6 weighed a decent amount more and the brakes weren't great, you had to lean on them hard with a load of people on the highway.
At 64" high it was almost a foot taller than a typical sedan or wagon of the day. This was the leading edge of the return of chair-height seats and minimal ducking to get in which are a big part of the appeal of crossovers.
Almost the best automobile I've ever had. 1989 brand new
My parents had a 1989 Plymouth Voyager. Bought it brand new. I grew up riding in that van as well as my sisters learning how to drive in that van. Wish I had the opportunity to learn to drive in that van, but it was sold back in 2000 for a Ford Taurus.
Lee while at Ford wanted to produce this in the early 70s but got shot down . Lee releases it at Chrysler and changes the auto world .
My Dad had an 86 LE with the Mitsubishi engine. It was pretty quick for the time and had decent torque. But the cylinder head issues these engines had made my Dad kinda baby it. The dealer replaced the cylinder head due to a crack between the intake and exhaust valves at 35k miles. He got about 85k miles out it before a woman in a Chevy Celebrity crashed into it in 1996 an totalled the van. But even with this vans reliability issues my family still had allot of good memories from all the road trips we went on. I still remember those seats to they were like couches! Car seats should be like that today.
This van was just from a simpler and better time.
I love these. They look so much better than anything on the road today.
I wish I could find one with a 5 Speed.
My parents bought one in 1989 and had it for 14 years with zero issues. Basically drove it until they wanted something new. My entire childhood was in this van. It was white with the baby blue interior. Parents gave it to my grandparents in Mexico then they died. It was sold. I saw it like a year ago on the streets in Mexico and it looks bad lol. Spray painted gray, no bumpers, dented everywhere but still going. I lowkey want to buy it, imported back to the U.S and restore it.
We had this van in 84. I remember the "cup holders" at 3:18. In later years, they made those deeper IIRC
I grew up in the 70's and was out of high school when these hit the streets. I remember thinking, wow how practical compared to a huge station wagon (we had a 1973 Ford Ranch Wagon which I loved). I thought it wasn't so pretty but I think anyone with half a brain knew it was the demise of the full size wagon. If you think about it, it was responsible for the nice pickups of today also. When the station wagon died, you couldnt tow as much with the mini van as a full size wagon. Families used to pack their kids and luggage into a wagon and pull a camper. That was asking too much of the mini vans back then. So manufacturers started adding more seating to pickups (yes they already had crew cabs in the one tons) but started making them more in the half ton chassis with more options. Thank you Chrysler for the awesome trucks we have now! Lol
Thank you, Motorweek! So cool to see. Now, please just release the GM U-BODY review (the dustbuster vans of 1990). Fingers crossed!
I remember my mom had one when I was a kid back in the 1990's
I'm going to buy and restore one of these bad boys soon.
our family had a number of first-gen voyagers. great vans. miss them.
Had one of these decked out with 15" Orion XTR subs back in highschool
Call me weird,but I LOVE the styling.
My cousin's dad had a light blue 1986 Plymouth Voyager with running boards and he took really good care of it, still looked new when he finally sold it in 1997.
The 1st Gen Chrysler minivans is a timeless design. That is, it's proportions and shape give it a clean design while allowing maximum space for it's size and a hood that allows access to the engine. When Chrysler kept updating the design, the hood got smaller and the engine bay harder to access. They could make a new minivan with the same overall exterior design and it would sell. I had a 1985 Plymouth Voyager which was just like the tester with the 2.6L and the extra seats. Yeah it wasn't fast. I believe the 0-60 mph of 14 secs. Top speed was 95 mph. I never got 29 mpg. More like 25 mpg. The Chrysler minivans didn't get decent power until the 3.0L Mitsubishi V6 was added. Once the rear seats were removed, had plenty of cargo room. I fit a full sofa in the back (with rear hatched closed) when I was moving. The larger 3 person folding seat was pretty heavy to remove. Like 70 lbs. The spare tire was underneath the back and lowered on a cable from underneath. You pulled up the carpet in the back inside and there was a hexagonal knob that you turned with the lug nut wrench to lower it. Only bad thing was that after a while the wheel and cable would get rusty from the rain and road salt thrown up under there so you had to try to wrap it in plastic. The seats didn't have head restraints but where otherwise comfortable with fold down armrests. Funny how it came with full gauges such as voltmeter and oil pressure gauge. Something most modern cars don't even have. Overall a very good design for the time .(was designed in Chryslers UK division) .
I love my mini van. (2000 Mercury villager estate) and it wouldn't exist without this oversized K car changing the family transportation game
This one had nice seats. I remember back in 08 having to ride around in an early 2000s Caravan with base trim during the 90 degree humid Missouri summer, packed full of people going city to city moving U-Hauls around. Even with AC, the cramped conditions made it a fairly miserable experience. Now some of those full conversion vans in the 80's were pretty nice. The pastor of our church bought ones all decked out with captain's chairs, track lighting, extended roof with canopy, rear AC, you name it. Used them to travel to different AoG churches during the summer and never once did it felt miserable.
Inarguably, these set the definition for the minivan classification.
"Mr. T prices" lol
I PITY THE FOOL THAT WOULDN'T LIKE THIS VAN!!!!!
ikr. I was like.......???
Saved Chrysler's bacon, Iacocca took Ford's idea(Ford was planning a mid-sized van in the early-mid 70s when Iacocca was president of Ford) with him to Chrysler, stroke of genius....
05gtdriver ummmm no. This wasn't fords idea. This was Lee's idea. In fact, Ford refused to make this, said it wasn't going to sell hence Lee going to Chrysler
Kristopher Klassen Ok, you win 😁
No iacocca and a designer designed a smaller van for Ford but they didn't think there was a market for it
@@Welcometofacsistube You forgot that it was Hal Sperlich who designed the minivan. Ioccoca was his manager and they both got fired from Ford and ended up at Chrysler.
@@mybigfatpolishlife It was Hal Sperlich that designed the vehicle after his trip to Europe where front wheel drive and smaller vehicles were dominant.
My favorite option on the 1984 Voyager was with the woodie trim exterior. I mean, it gave the new minivan a retro look of being easily able to haul a surfboard. However, between an $8,700 base price tag and my SSI check of in 1984 only $314 per month, the new minivan was definitely out of my price range then. Now I want the 2020 Chrysler Voyager with the standard Uconnect Touch system.
I went to the Canadian Auto show last year and they had they original Chrysler minivan on Display and it was a Dodge caravan still looking brand new.
I learned to drive in a 1984 Plymouth Voyager SE, Glacier Blue Crystal Coat with the 2.4 litre. I'd buy one today if I could. Mom and Dad kept it for 20 years, 284,000 miles on it when she was sold. Truly the most innovative vehicle ever produced by Chrysler.
Those interior colors look nice 👌🏽
My parents bought every model caravan that came out. Starting with the very first generation. They really are fantastic vehicles.
I grew up with caravans. My mom had every generation 80s, 90s, 2000s.
They had no idea what an impact the minivan would have. It's funny to see they were iffy about lol
I have an 84 dodge caravan today. 2.2 liter manual trans. It has 365 thousand miles. I keep it as an extra toy vehicle. Only about 500-600 miles a year now. It’s fun complete with a Reagan/Bush 84 bumper sticker.
Drove an 84 with the 2.2 L and a 5 speed for service calls. It ran pretty decent for what it was. Put a ton of miles on it without spending much time in the shop. Later the company bought some Chevy Astro vans. Now those were just pure shit. They performed worse than the Caravan and spent numerous trips to the dealer for repairs.
When I was a kid we had a 1989 triple blue Caravan with the turbocharged 4 cylinder, which my dad bought after he sold his Mustang GT lol.. I remember that it was pretty fast for it's time. I'd love to own one again.
Interesting. The turbo model was a unicorn.
TY!!! yaaaaasss! see? they weren't all 3 spd 4 bangers with 100 hp. those were the low cost, econo cruisers. the turbo & v6 mopar mini v's were quite quick.
+alberty7139 I had a 1989 Plymouth Voyager SE with the 2.5L Shelby Turbo in it and it was fast brought in 1997 when I was in high school drove it until 2003 it had 90k miles when I brought it and 159k miles sold it. paid 1200.00 for it sold it for 2550.00 body was mint and inside was perfect and everything still worked. I remember smoking Mustang .5.0 's and Camaro 305 with this mini van.
Yeah . Take the seats out and WOW!@@richr161
Love the 50 shades of brown interior .
I had the dodge caravan 1985 ,same 4 cylinder Mitsubishi engine ,van never gave me any problems whatsoever ,built well those years
What year did the overhead console with the digital compass and outside temp gauge come out? There was DTE (distance ‘till empty) and I think instant fuel economy. Plus the power rear window buttons were over head. Coolest part of these vans.
Man look at those seats. So cushy and soft. Long gone are the days... Every car has rock hard seats now
Am I the only one that loves the quad headlights?!?
0-60 in 14 seconds.
Smokin fast..
My dog can accelerate faster than that. Being sarcastic.
2014 will do about half that how time has changed
Throw a 4G63 in it.
0-60: "yes"
I would love to drive and ride in one of these today. I recently drove a 1987 Ford Taurus station wagon fat looked like it had been kept in a vault. It only had 60,000 miles on it but it was amazing at how Spartan and heavy it felt but back in the day it was so modern.
Wow... we had an '84 SE model, forgot they had the whiplash seats. Back when headrests were not mandatory. I don't even remember how we drove from NY to Niagara Falls in this thing. It served us well from '84-'90, when we totaled it one night in an accident with a deer.
I currently have a low mileage example of an 87 Mini Ram Van (3.0 V6) and absolutely love it! Have a had a few of these vans with the 2.6 4 cylinder. I would steer clear of any vans that happen to house this very poor engine choice.
With vehicles like minivans or suv’s. I wish they would have tested the 0-60 with passengers. Think it would be more realistic.
"Motor Week couldn't find any significant faults with the T wagon."
It's a Chrysler. Give it time. You will. 😂
He forgot to mention the Cadillac level of comfort and silence
😂
The dash is handsome. haha 3380 lbs is so heavy! wow, everything was so light back then.
Good luck finding one of these original vans today!
I still see them but sadly it usually in someone's back yard rusting away.
And unfortunately in demolition derbies. They are extremely tough and typically take an awful lot of abuse .
..it's fun watching the Chrysler Corp vehicles in Retro Reviews & how revolutionary, cool and fun and loveable the vehicles were then. from the minivan to the viper, no apologies, just great cars. the shade & jealous, history revisionists can suck it. millions of ppl have owned & do own Mopars & love the heck out of them & for many great reasons..we ain't stopping bc you say so. neener :)
I had a worn out '86 voyager and I loved everything about it.
My decade old caravan has been put thru the meat grinder multiple times and it still drives like a champ.
There are finally hints of collectivity for first year models.
We had a 1990 Plymouth Grand Voyager SE! We had it for 16 years!
I wish that a modern day soccer mom could review one of these today!
When these were brand brand new one of my best friend's parents had gotten one it was one of the first I ever saw up close. Weird compared to the up until then 'normal' (non-mini) vans but very practical and utilitarian.
so funny and entertaining, thank you for uploading all the cool retro reviews