Mopar Minivans (English Edition)

Mopar Minivans (English Edition)

Second Edition: Expanded and Corrected — With Input From Project Leaders

In the early 1970s, designers and planners envisioned a “magic wagon” — a passenger van that would fit in a normal garage—but corporate executives refused to move forward, because it would cost too much and because neither GM nor Ford sold one.

The insiders kept their daring project in motion; in this book, they tell their stories, with previously unpublished photos of early drawings and clay models.

Once minivans were established as a profitable niche, the next challenge arose: how could Chrysler, with its small market share, stay ahead of GM, Ford, Toyota, Honda, and Nissan? The minivan would have to be reinvented and remade, over and over; again, insiders tell how they kept leapfrogging the competition.

”It’s incredibly rare when the auto industry creates an entirely new class of vehicle, and rarer still when that innovation is an unqualified success story, but such was the case with Chrysler and the development of the minivan. In Mopar Minivans, Zatz uses the people who were there to retell in vivid detail the largely forgotten story of how this innovative people mover evolved into a quintessential piece of American family life for two generations. It’s a story that showcases not only how the automotive industry can work at its best, but also the ways that the industry’s prevalent groupthink mentality can stifle innovation.”

— Larry Vellequette, Automotive News

“I am amazed how complete you are, having not been on-site in the front trenches during agreements, disagreements, and, yes, even skirmishes, at times.” — Chrysler employee

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