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HomeMinivans

Minivans

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. […]

1983 Ford Thunderbird
Drive-By Musings

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

January 2, 2024 Steve 2

Michael Karesh (2023) of TrueDelta recently asked, “Which cars (model and year) from the Detroit Three since 1980 do you feel qualify as design icons?” I would invite you to check out the ensuing debate […]

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 […]

2018 Honda Odyssey
Design Notes

2018 Honda Odyssey: Somebody’s going to hell

July 9, 2018 Steve 0

The headline may seem overly dramatic. After all, ugly car design doesn’t have nearly the negative consequences of, say, melting the polar ice caps. However, visual blight has been proven to increase the incidence of […]

  • 1964 Studebaker Challenger
    Brooks Stevens’s rejection of brand continuity was bad for small automakers
    June 14, 2025 0
  • EVs need a George Romney to champion them in the next few years
    June 13, 2025 16
  • Citroen SM
    Citroen SM: A surprisingly conventional next step
    June 12, 2025 5
  • 1936-37 Cord 810/812 tried to do too much at once
    June 11, 2025 10
  • 1963 Studebaker Daytona convertible
    Classic film shows human side of Studebaker’s end
    June 10, 2025 15
  • Once upon a time, car wheels were 36-to-42 inches in diameter
    June 9, 2025 5
  • Ram customized pickup
    What would you think if it was 1965 and you could magically see this truck?
    June 8, 2025 1
  • Brooks Stevens’s 1965 Studebaker Lark concept: Almost a baby Continental
    June 6, 2025 5
  • 1949 Packard Super Eight
    Packard kept a bigger foothold in the luxury-car field than commonly assumed
    June 5, 2025 9
  • Exner bio offers mostly positive take on controversial car designer
    Peter Grist views car designer Virgil Exner through rose-tinted glasses
    June 3, 2025 9
  • 1970 Mercury Cyclone
    1970 Mercury Montego had a last-of-the-wine quality
    June 2, 2025 2
  • A query, a thank you and an update on miscellaneous stuff
    April 4, 2025 0
  • 1956 Buick hood scoop
    Readers brainstorm ideas for future Indie Auto stories
    October 14, 2022 124
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