Wait? So is the Vanagon & older bus considered a "mid size", "full-
size", or "bus" type of vehicle? I guess I've always thought of mini-
van as just a smaller version of a van, (at any size) and figured my
vanagon probably fit into that category somehow. Haven't the older
busses been around since the 50's or before? Am I wrong here? I guess
the term 'mini-van' must have some sort of legal definition that
maybe I haven't heard.

Sorry to sound "Van-ignorant", but I guess you don't learn if you
don't ask. Hope I haven't opened up too big of a can of worms here! I
know this list already has more than a few emails about this topic in
the past!!
  :o)

On Jul 29, 2006, at 5:56 PM, Mike Rouby wrote:

> As far as vehicles available for sale at dealerships in the USA,
> then Chrysler still invented the minivan.
>
>   <sticking tongue out>
>
> John Bange <jbange@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>> The arguement that VW created the minivan has been brought up
>> before. VW
>> actually created the "microbus" (think tiny bus) not the Minivan.
>> However
>> Chrysler took their usually full-size van line and conceptialized a
>> smalled-version built on K-car componantry and based it on front-
>> wheel
>> drive, making it more economical than those full-sized RWD vans as
>> well. It
>> was quite revolutionary at the time (1984) when station wagons and VW
>> microbuses were the only other way families could haul crap down
>> the road.
>
>
> Sorry, if you're going to disqualify the VW entry based simply on
> size, then
> the prize still doesn't go to Chrysler. Next in line, with front-
> wheel drive
> and small stature is the Toyota Liteace, which beat the Chrysler to
> market
> by FIFTEEN YEARS. Here's a 1970 Liteace:
>
>
> Now if you want to narrow it down to the "First Van Sold in the US
> Market
> Under 6 Feet Tall (But Not a Station Wagon) Which Puts the Driver
> Behind the
> Front Wheels Rather Than ON Them", I guess maybe that'd be the Dodge
> Caravan.
>
> --
> John Bange
> '90 Vanagon - "Geldsauger"
>
>
>
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