Word: minivans
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...hurt. Thirty minutes later, the kidnapers and their captives climbed into a police-supplied Renault minivan and drove off to the Nantes airport. There they parked on a runway and released two of the remaining hostages. Further talks with Broussard convinced the three that even if they commandeered a plane, they had nowhere to go. Courtois, said Broussard afterward, "realized that he was at an impasse." Finally he, Khalki and the third kidnaper, Patrick Thiolet, drove to the airport terminal and surrendered, after Khalki was assured he could return to Morocco. Courtois sneered one last time at reporters, calling them...
...first half of his time there was infamously miserable. There are some noteworthy errors from that dark era. "Selling our realty company was a goddam mistake--excuse me, a big mistake," he says. The second half of his Chrysler reign, on the other hand, has been rollicking. The minivan is a hit. Bigger cars, with higher profit margins, are selling well. "Americans are falling in love with big cars again," Iacocca explains, "and with gas at a dollar a gallon, what the hell, why not?" Chrysler profits last year, $2.4 billion, were higher than those of the previous 60 years...
Chrysler inaugurated a whole new vehicle category last year with its minivan, which carries seven passengers and still drives like a car. Though its Windsor, Ont., plant is operating at full speed and will produce 180,000 minivans this year, Chrysler is hard-pressed to keep up with demand. Some dealers are charging a $2,000 premium on each van. Due within the next nine months are two competing models: the Chevrolet Astro and Ford Aerostar. Industry experts think that minivan sales could go all the way to 750,000 a year...
Chrysler has orders for 100,000 of them, which is enough to keep an assembly plant in Windsor, Ont., across the river from Detroit, operating on two shifts with overtime until mid-July. The front-wheel-drive minivans combine efficient use of interior space, with room for as many as seven passengers, and easy handling. Chrysler's models, named Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager, are 16.7 in. lower and 21 in. shorter than standard vans like the Dodge Ram Wagon. The smaller size and improved aerodynamics created by the minivan's lower profile pay off in fuel economy...
...Minivans do not go for a miniprice. Chrysler's models start at $8,700 and run as high as $14,000. A Toyota Van Wagon equipped with an icemaker, front-and rear-seat air conditioner and twin sunroofs can cost $16,000. The average price of a new car sold in the U.S. today is close to $11,000. All the major automakers are going after this fast-growing market. Toyota will ship 40,000 of its Van Wagons to the U.S. this year, and Volkswagen expects to sell 25,000 Vanagons in America during 1984. General Motors...