Every once in a while a new car actually stands up to the hype that automakers generate to tout it. When Chrysler introduced the Dodge Caravan/Plymouth Voyager in 1983, they declared a "Transportation Revolution," and the all-new minivan truly was a revolution for American families.

For the first time, here was a van with copious amounts of room that drove like a car and not a truck. Here was a large space-efficient vehicle built first with passengers in mind and cargo second. Its mission was to haul your family around town, not deliver packages or carry service equipment (though later cargo versions were introduced). Based on Chrysler's near-ubiquitous front-wheel drive K-car platform, which underpinned everything from the Aries sedan to the Daytona sports car, the Caravan and Voyager caught the rest of Detroit by surprise. Years later, attempting to play catch up, neither GM nor Ford was ever able to steal Chrysler's thunder.

Explore the history of the minivan on Hemmings.