• Fur Affinity Forums are governed by Fur Affinity's Rules and Policies. Links and additional information can be accessed in the Site Information Forum.

Predators and Prey

Breyo

Breyo

Professional Nibbler
Pygmepatl

Pygmepatl

Spotted Skunk
DRGN Juno said:
I don't know if the site's still down, but it's loading painfully slowly for me. Which means now is the perfect time for FACTS. Who’s ready to learn about minivans?

The story of the garageable van goes back to 1949, with a German microbus called the DKW Schnellaster. While it launched at the same time as the much more prolific Volkswagen Type 2, it featured all the hallmarks of a modern minivan – front wheel drive, a transverse mounted engine, and a one-box profile. Not to mention, the Schnellaster had a smaller footprint than the VW bus. Produced from 1949 to 1962, the Schnellaster was the first vehicle made by this new conglomerate in Ingolstadt, Germany called Auto Union, which would later become Audi. Yes, that Audi started life by making minivans. Funny how they don’t mention that.

hqdefault.jpg

1956 DKW Schnellaster Kastenwagen

While compact vans like the Schnellaster were all the rage in Europe, America was addicted to the “bigger is better” mentality, and it showed in cars like the Cadillac Eldorado and the Lincoln Continental. These cars were the pinnacle of luxury, with stretching fins and hoods you could land small aircraft on. To illustrate, the 6th generation Eldorado was nearly 5.7m in length (223.5”). A standard parking space according to building code in Temecula, California is only 5.5m in length (18 feet). America wanted more, whether it was in cars or trucks or vans. Full size offerings like the Ford Econoline were still wildly popular, but by the 1970s, attitudes were beginning to change.

In the early 1970s, Ford executives began talks of a van practical enough for the everyday driver, but small enough to fit in a garage. Codenamed “Nantucket,” Ford was seeking a derivative of their Econoline van for production later that decade. Ford’s designer Dick Nesbitt set about designing a concept that strayed away from the “school bus” look that full size vans had at the time and produced the 1972 Ford Carousel Concept. Drawing from Ford’s earlier Minimax concept, the Carousel had more sweeping, angular lines that distinguished it from traditional function-over-form philosophies that dominated the segment, and trim appliques and design touches that gave the Carousel a more car-like appearance.

Ford-carousel-van1972.jpg

1972 Ford Carousel - initial sketch by designer Dick Nesbitt

The TL;DR of this story usually goes along the following lines – Nesbitt sketches a design, Ford President Lee Iacocca greenlights the design, and Henry Ford II shuts it down in disgust, leading to Iacocca leaving and taking product designer Hal Sperlich to Chrysler, who bought the design and made bank on their new Caravan. But the overall series of events is a bit more complicated than that. The Ford Motor Company actually liked the idea, and Henry Ford II was one of the greatest supporters of the project. Ford even had a driving prototype that was a few meetings away from entering production. Once again, the 1973 Oil Crisis had a hand in shaping things. With a sudden drop in vehicle sales due to spiking gas prices, Ford figured that development of a new van wasn’t feasible, even if it was a more efficient, downsized version of the thirsty Econoline. Originally slated for a 1975 release, the Carousel was permanently canned when OPEC cut off America’s oil.

03-Ford-Carousel-1.jpg

The final, functioning prototype of the 1972 Ford Carousel

Then Lee Iacocca got fired from Ford in 1978. This was probably a move for the better, as Henry Ford II turned out to be the sort of hellish nightmare boss that keeps HR working full time. In 1975, Ford II spent $1.5M in company money investigating Iacocca’s private life for ammunition, wanting any excuse he could to get rid of Iacocca so that Henry’s son Edsel could take over the company. As much as Iacocca didn’t want to leave Ford, he wound up in a much better situation a year later when he was hired as the president of Chrysler. Oh, and he took Hal Sperlich with him on his way out.

Ford’s decision to cancel the Carousel would prove to be a blunder. By 1975, the economy for large vans had recovered, but the market was still wary of another oil embargo. Had Ford continued development, the Carousel would’ve been the perfect answer. But when Iacocca left, he took the design with him. When Iacocca and Sperlich went to Chrysler, the company was in a state of decline. Iacocca would later become a monumental influence on the company, saving the company from bankruptcy in 1979. While I don’t agree with all of his notable works, Iacocca was an influential executive who brought significant innovations to Chrysler and the auto industry at large. Among these innovations was the Dodge Caravan.

Just after his arrival at Chrysler in 1978, Iacocca began nationwide surveys and focus groups, asking what customers would like to see in a minivan. Unsurprisingly, most surveyed customers found the sketches ugly. However, these same customers would rank appearances lower on their list of priorities, and Chrysler found themselves looking at a potential market of one million vehicles a year. As part of their 1979 Bankruptcy protection plan, Chrysler began project “T-115,” using the Ford Carousel and making modifications.

ea724932-a266-41c1-a199-07673e54c892.JPG

A 1986 Caravan I found on some auction site

A number of design changes were made to the Carousel for Chrysler’s production version. The rear-wheel drive layout was exchanged for a more compact front wheel drive setup, the rear doors were changed from traditional doors to sliding doors, and the left-hand sliding door was removed entirely. The underpinnings of the T-115 were heavily drawn on the also-new K-car platform, which resulted in shared parts and lower overall cost. Due to Chrysler’s 2.2L being anemic and their legendary Slant Six being too big, Chrysler opted to use a Mitsubishi 2.6L 4-cylinder engine until Chrysler could design an adequate V6.

In 1983 (for the 1984 model year), the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager finally hit showrooms, accompanied by a commercial variant, the Dodge Mini Ram. Both versions were sales successes. And coupled with the success of the K-car (and some negotiated loans from the government), the Chrysler minivan is credited with saving the company from absolute bankruptcy. By 1987, a long wheelbase option was offered, and the 1990 (re)introduction of the Chrysler Town & Country nameplate marked the first luxury minivan to hit the market.

272025.jpg

The Ford Aerostar

For all their work in designing the first minivan prototype, Ford would be late to the minivan game. In 1986, Ford finally answered to the Dodge Caravan (that they designed), with the Ford Aerostar. Based on the Ford Ranger pickup, it was body-on-frame and rear-wheel drive, giving it a truck-like feel when the Caravan drove more like a car, and penalizing the Aerostar’s fuel economy. Ford would eventually build the more traditional Windstar in 1995, but they would never really capture the market share the Caravan held. After a third name change to the Ford Freestar, Ford would abandon the minivan market altogether in 2006.

While the US auto market shifted towards full size pickups and SUVs in the last two decades, Chrysler has continued steady production of the Caravan and its derivatives to the present day, outlasting both General Motors and Ford, and maintained a market share that even import marques like Honda and Toyota have had trouble reaching. While Chrysler would continue to see turbulent economic times, including a disastrous merger with Daimler and a buyout by FIAT SpA, the Caravan has always remained the company’s hidden icon. And with 12 million Caravans sold, Chrysler today holds the title of the 13th best-selling nameplate in the world.
Click to expand...
That is really interesting. Now I know about the origins of the iconic Minivan.

Thanks @DRGN Juno!
 
W

WXYZ

No longer using this site
blue sky love said:
I've seen a furry on here say something negative about an otaku on here, calling him a "absolute [hidden] weeb". It's a bit of a double standard; those kind of furries hate being harassed by furry haters, yet talk bad about other fandoms similar in the way furry haters speak about us.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I understand that. I sometimes feel ashamed of my interest in anime...has already led to a misunderstanding once.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top