Chrysler, Dodge to Get 30th Anniversary Edition Minivans

The Chrysler minivan turns 30 years old later this year and to celebrate the vehicles that literally invented the minivan segment – the Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan will both benefit from a new 30th Anniversary Edition packages for 2014.

The Dodge Caravan was introduced for the 1984 model year and the first ever minivan rolled off of the assembly line in Windsor Ontario on November 2nd 1983. That means that the original minivan will turn 30 years old in a couple months and to celebrate that monumental occasion, the company will offer up 30th Anniversary Edition models of both the Chrysler Town & Country and the Dodge Grand Caravan for the 2014 model year.

“The Chrysler Group is well known as the creator of the minivan, and these 30th Anniversary Editions are the perfect way to celebrate their leadership and longevity in the marketplace,” said Ben Winter, Vice president of Vehicle Engineering. “As the minivan segment and innovation leader, it’s important that we continue to offer tremendous content and value, setting us apart from the rest of the segment.”

The 30th Anniversary Edition package is applied to the 2014 Chrysler Town & Country Touring-L and the 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan SE and SXT models. All of these minivans are powered by the 3.6L Pentastar V6 with 283 horsepower being sent to the front wheels via a 6-speed automatic transmission. Unique to the touring package, both vehicles are available in a new Granite Crystal Pearl Coat exterior hue but Grand Caravan buyers can opt for 8 other exterior shades while Chrysler Town & Country buyers can select from 7 other options if Granite Crystal Pearl Coat isn’t their thing.

The Dodge Grand Caravan SE 30th Anniversary Edition package begins on the outside where 17 inch polished satin carbon aluminum wheels, body colored heated exterior mirrors and 30th Anniversary Edition badging on the front fenders give these vans a unique look. Inside, the 30th Anniversary Grand Caravan gets silver accent stitching, piano black accents, black cloth seats, a leather wrapped steering wheel, a leather wrapped shift knob, a black headliner chrome HVAC outlets, power 2nd and 3rd row windows,a unique gauge cluster with the 30th Anniversary logo and the UConnect HandsFree Group which adds Sirius satellite radio, Bluetooth audio, Bluetooth voice controls and an auto dimming rear view mirror.

Those 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT buyers who order the 30th Anniversary Edition package get all of the goodies from the SE 30th Anniversary package but it adds chrome window trim moldings, a chrome roof rack, fog lamps, automatic headlamps, Black leatherette seats with suede inserts, silver accent stitching and a 10-way power driver’s seat.

The 2014 Chrysler Town & Country 30th Anniversary Edition applies to the Touring-L trimline and it adds 17 inch aluminum wheels with a polished face and painted Satin pockets and the unique fender badging. Inside, the Town & Country 30th Anniversary edition wears black Alcantara seats with Nappa leather bolsters, black steering wheel bezels, a black instrument panel trim piece, 3rd row power folding seats, power folding exterior mirrors, a unique gauge cluster with the 30th Anniversary logo, a unique lower instrument panels in Light Graystone, and the Driver’s Convenience Group which includes heated 1st and 2nd row seats, a leather wrapped and heated steering wheel, power adjustably pedals and Keyless Entry-N-Go.

Even though the minivan has earned a soccer mom reputation that some buyers work to avoid, the minivan has remained one of the most popular segments in the United States and the Chrysler Group minivans have continued to dominate the competition. Even though pretty much every other automaker has thrown their hat into the ring at one point, Chrysler has been left to compete with Honda and Toyota. Those two Japanese minivans have cut into Chrysler’s market share but it hasn’t stopped the inventor of the minivan to account for more than half of the entire segment. Even though some consumers are leaning towards SUVs rather than minivans, these are still some of the most purchased vehicles in America the Chrysler Group minivans have continued to lead the segment that they created.