MINIVAN: Dead or Alive?

When it comes to naming the founding fathers of the automobile industry, one might think of Henry Ford, Karl Benz and Enzo Ferrari, but then the more contemporary names of Carroll Shelby, John DeLorean and Lee Iacocca come to mind. Iacocca is known for changing the industry forever with his creation of the Ford Mustang, as well as rescuing Chrysler from near extinction in the late 1970’s. He continued to revitalize Chrysler through the 1980’s by bringing to market the K-Cars, the Dodge Omni/Plymouth Horizon, acquiring AMC with its valuable Jeep brand, and most importantly, introducing the world to the minivan.

The minivan was a stroke of genius, a pioneering replacement to the frumpy family station wagon. Here was a vehicle that could comfortably seat 7 people, had the valuable traction of front wheel drive, and plenty of room for “stuff” that could be easily loaded in through its large sliding side door. Born during the energy crisis, it was even somewhat fuel efficient compared to other vehicles of the time. America’s car buyers responded with record sales, as did all of the other domestic and foreign manufacturers. Every brand designed their own version of the minivan…and the soccer mom was born.

Trends in the auto industry ebb and flow as the buyers’ tastes change. Suddenly, despite it functionality, the minivan was not cool anymore. Auto buyers found that it was necessary to address traffic in an assault vehicle with four wheel drive, essential to survival in the urban jungles. The SUV was quickly in vogue. As tastes change, so does the economy. The SUV is now nearly dead due to gas prices. Even its replacement, the crossover (CUV), is less attractive in favor of other, more fuel efficient choices.

But is the minivan dead? On the surface it might seem so. GM and Ford have given up their minivans completely. Even Chrysler, the vehicle’s creator, is scaling back its minivan production. Sales this year of the Chrysler Town & Country is down 13%, while its Dodge Grand Caravan is down a whopping 35%. Whether it is due to high gas prices, stiff competition, or the change in buyers’ tastes (all of the above?), the lack of sales is forcing Chrysler to shut down one of its key minivan assembly plants.

Regardless, all of the reasons for Lee Iacocca’s original design and subsequent success are still valid today. Families still need to shuttle kids, groceries and soccer balls. It still snows in Maine, so the traction and simplicity of front wheel drive still makes sense. Weekend warriors still need to remove seats to make room for a visit to Home Depot. Drivers still like the added visibility of elevated seating. These are the reasons why the minivan was, and still is, a great design.

My family recently made the trek from Maine to Brooklyn, New York to embark on a 9 day Caribbean cruise. Staying with relatives on Long Island, my brother-in-law graciously agreed to drive us in our Ford Windstar minivan to the cruise ship terminal. Packed to the gills with 4 people, 13 pieces of luggage and our guest driver, the van navigated effortlessly the chaos of New York City traffic, pot holes and all. Then, the value of the minivan truly shined as we faced the challenge of frantically unloading at the ship. Amongst the maze of limousines, taxis and shouting porters, the tailgate opened, the sliding doors slid, and in a flash, all of the gear and passengers were out in a matter of moments. Let’s see an SUV/CUV do that without bumped foreheads and a few expletives from aggravated New York cab drivers.

Frumpy image or not, the original design concept of the minivan still makes sense. Its versatility continues to prove itself repeatedly to this driver. That day in Brooklyn reminded me of just how much it really can deliver. The minivan: not quite dead in my book.