Ode to the Odious Minivan Generation

Before the SUV, soccer moms drove another scourge of emasculation upon the wide-open road, the minivan. Yes, the minivan with its bubble shape and sliding door was the vehicle of choice for suburbia during the nineties due to the maximum interior room it offered. At some point in your life, you most likely either owned one or rode in one.

Minivan’s got their name from the fact that they are smaller, more streamlined, and less creepy looking than regular vans, due to more windows. They were first introduced to the North American market in late 1983 for the 1984 model year when Toyota introduced the Toyota Van while Chrysler released both the Dodge Caravan and the Plymouth Voyager.

The target market for this hybrid of a station wagon and full size van was suburban families. Although minivan’s had poor maneuverability, they had something even more desirable: a middle seat that made it easy for a mother to keep junior in line. So for fathers across America, the dream of owning a strong, masculine, sports car was over. Minivans sold through the roof, and the highway moved a lot slower.

Today, the minivan has been replaced with the new vehicle of choice, the SUV; however, rising gas prices has forced the popularity of these gas-guzzlers to fall by the wayside. The automotive industry is looking for a new model to promote to suburbia. Could the minivan be making a come back? Chrysler hopes so.

For 2008, Chrysler is reinventing the Chrysler Town and Country minivan with “swivel ‘n’ go seatsâ€? and Sirius BackseatTV. They also inked a deal with Nickelodeon to use Jimmy Neutron as a spokesperson. Hopefully, this won’t work; the world doesn’t need another minivan generation! One is enough, thank you. But if the video below is any indication, Chrysler should know it is on to something because for some people, there will always be a need for the minivan.