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Dodge Caravan is the most award winning minivan.
The Dodge Caravan and Dodge Grand Caravan are minivans manufactured by DaimlerChrysler (they were sold by the Chrysler Corporation until 1998). Introduced in 1983 for the 1984 model year along with sister model the Plymouth Voyager (now Chrysler Voyager), the first modern minivans. The Chrysler twins were launched a few months ahead of the Renault Espace (the first MPV/minivan in Europe, first pitched to executives as a Talbot in 1979, but not launched until 1984), making them the first of their kind. However, they did not offer the interior versatility (individual, folding seats that could be used as tables or removed completely) of the first generation Espace until subsequent generations. Since their introduction, the Chrysler minivans have been the best-selling minivans in the United States.
The idea of a minivan was the brainchild of both Lee Iacocca and Hal Sperlich during their days at the Ford Motor Company. Heny Ford denied Iacocca's and Sperlich's idea (and a prototype) of a minivan back in 1974. When Iacocca was in the midsts of turning around the then-ailing Chrysler Corporation, he and Sperlich (who had been scouted to Chrysler by Iacocca) and many others no doubt, created the T115 minivan. The T115 ultimately was christened Caravan and Voyager.
he 1996 redesign used the Chrysler NS platform and included a driver's side sliding door, a first for Chrysler. All wheel drive was reintroduced in 1997. The Caravan was Motor Trend magazine's Car of the Year for 1996. The Caravan was also on Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list for 1996 and 1997.
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