I don't have much to disagree with regarding this assessment except
that the the VW Type 2 vehicles are not, and should not, be defined as
minivans.  Minivans are built on car chassis and the Vanagon is
clearly built as a truck, albeit a small one.  I think the only thing
that the Vanagon has in common with the Chrysler product is the word
"van."  With that in mind, I think Chrysler can lay claim as the
inventor of the minivan.  VW can lay claim to the inventor of the
small truck, perhaps?  Were there other small trucks in 1950?

Donald Baxter, Iowa City
'85 GL

On Thu, 10 Mar 2005 08:20:12 -0800, jbange <hfinn@ingrates.net> wrote:
> At 07:27 AM 3/10/2005, you wrote:
> >The American Plymouth Voyager and
> >Dodge Caravan were also introduced in 1983, as 1984
> >models."
> >
> >The article seems to ignore the existence of VW
> >Vanagons on American streets as early as 1980(!), and
> >if the earlier Busses/Transporters weren't "mini
> >vans", I don't know what is.
>
> I think they don't count the Vanagon as a "mini-van" because it's too
> capable!  Apparently to them a mini-van is a small economy car fitted with

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Donald Baxter
316 Ridgeview Avenue
University Heights, Iowa 52246
http://www.mindspring.com/~onanov