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HomeMinivans

Minivans

1983 Ford Thunderbird
Drive-By Musings

What were Detroit’s top-five most iconic vehicle designs from 1980-2000?

October 31, 2025 Steve 9

(EXPANDED FROM 1/2/2024) A few years ago Michael Karesh (2023) of TrueDelta asked, “Which cars (model and year) from the Detroit Three since 1980 do you feel qualify as design icons?” I would invite you […]

Drive-By Musings

How might McNamara have influenced Ford if he had stuck around longer?

October 21, 2025 Steve 2

How might Robert McNamara have influenced Ford if he had remained company president for a few more years? This is a question that emerged from the comment thread in our recent Don Frey story. Let’s […]

2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz
Current Events

Richard Truett’s plan to ‘rescue’ the VW ID. Buzz thinks too big

August 7, 2025 Steve 5

Automotive News reporter Richard Truett (2025) recently recommended how Volkswagen could “rescue” the ID. Buzz, which is off to a slow start in sales. In a piece labeled a “Comment,” Truett argued that under current […]

Toyota Sienna and Venz
Design Notes

Early indications of Toyota embracing its inner Virgil Exner

April 14, 2025 Steve 6

(EXPANDED FROM 10/25/2021) The above photograph shows the beginning of Toyota’s embrace of sci-fi styling. In the foreground, the second-generation Sienna minivan (which was produced from 2003 to 2009) had simple but attractive styling (Wikipedia, […]

1960 Ford wagon
History

In 1974 Harry Bradley anticipated the American wagon’s future

September 10, 2024 Steve 7

(EXPANDED FROM 11/9/2022) A few years ago Dean’s Garage reprinted a prescient essay Harry Bradley (2022) wrote way back in 1974 about the future of the American station wagon. His article made a number of […]

2022 Toyota Sienna taillight
Satire

Why is the Toyota Sienna minivan’s styling out of this world?

March 4, 2024 Steve 8

AUTOMOTIVE VIEWS NEWSWIRE — It’s no accident that the Toyota Sienna minivan stands out from the crowd when it comes to styling. Disturbed by declining sales, the automaker decided to give it the “sci-fi” look. […]

Parody ads about the auto industry and media
Our Sponsors

Automotive Views: Ford enters the home market with new Transit van

July 26, 2023 Steve 1
Media Analysis

Road & Track magazine’s 1972 Nader attack was disingenuous propaganda

April 24, 2023 Steve 2

(EXPANDED FROM 10/30/2020) When Road & Track decided to go after Ralph Nader in 1972, the magazine took unusual measures. Even before an “evaluation” of a Nader report hit the newsstands, Road & Track held […]

1975 Ford Econoline van
Quotes

1970s van boom leads to premature predictions about FWD minivans

May 27, 2022 Steve 4

“With the van boom booming and no sign of abatement, Detroit and the importers are headed for a second generation of vans — smaller ones this time. These will come in addition to existing sizes. […]

2018 Honda Odyssey
Letters to the Editor

Excessive styling may not be right approach for minivans

June 25, 2021 Steve 0

The following letter is in response to our story, “2018 Honda Odyssey: Somebody’s going to hell.” It appears that the Japanese manufacturers have decided to produce the “expressive” models of minivans. Honda to greater degree […]

Posts pagination

1 2 »
  • 1967 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme
    Was the 1966 Olds Cutlass Supreme the first mid-sized brougham model?
    March 5, 2026 21
  • 1976 Plymouth Volare 2-door coupe
    Splashy new cars often were the biggest disasters during the postwar period
    March 3, 2026 1
  • Reader questions Chrysler’s future as it passes 100th anniversary
    March 2, 2026 12
  • 1968 Chevrolet C10 pickup
    Was the 1967-68 Chevrolet C10 the ‘first modern pickup’?
    February 27, 2026 7
  • 1941 Studebaker Commander 2-door coupe
    1941 Studebaker Commander: Ending its big cars on a high note
    February 26, 2026 11
  • 1961 De Soto
    Video histories of DeSoto and American Motors aren’t as good as books
    February 24, 2026 3
  • 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk front with hood open
    Four lingering questions about Aaron Severson’s take on the 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk
    February 20, 2026 6
  • Thank yous, power outages and format changes
    October 31, 2025 0
  • 1956 Buick hood scoop
    Readers brainstorm ideas for future Indie Auto stories
    October 14, 2022 134
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