But Henry Ford II, whose relationship with Iacocca was strained, didn’t like the idea. As well, Ford and the other Detroit auto companies were facing myriad challenges, including rising fuel prices, as well as new federal emissions and safety standards. And so the Ford minivan concept was shelved.
Within a few years GM and Ford followed with their own minivans, but couldn’t match Chrysler’s overall utility because both GM and Ford were using rear-wheel-drive truck platforms, at least initially.Article content 4 generations of the Minivan, 20th Anniversary – 1984MY Plymouth Voyager, 1994MY Dodge Caravan, 1996MY Chrysler Town and Country, and a 2002MY Chrysler Grand Voyager . The DaimlerChrysler Auburn Hill’s Complex stands in the background.But what sold most people was the minivans’ seating. A standard configuration provided for five passengers in two rows, but a third seat extended that capacity to as many as eight passengers.
But the engines were taken directly from the K-cars. For the first three years of production, Voyager and Caravan offered two engines – a based 2.2-litre, four-cylinder engine that delivered a very modest 96 horsepower, and a higher performance fuel-injected version of the 2.2-litre engine. And optional 2.6-litre engine from Mitsubishi was available.