Caravan

This minivan nameplate was launched for the 1984 model year as part of Chrysler’s original front-wheel-drive minivan program and quickly became one of the most important family vehicles of the 1980s and 1990s. Dodge positioned it as the shorter-wheelbase member of the lineup, alongside the longer-wheelbase Grand Caravan that arrived later. The original Caravan helped define the modern minivan formula with a low floor, practical packaging, and a car-like driving layout that made it appealing to buyers who wanted more flexibility than a station wagon or full-size van. Over time, the nameplate went through several updates, but it remained closely associated with Dodge’s core family-hauling identity. For the 2008 model year, Chrysler dropped the short-wheelbase version and continued only with the Grand Caravan, ending the Caravan nameplate’s continuous run. Because there was no later revival of this exact short-wheelbase model name, its production history is treated as one uninterrupted period from 1984 through 2007.