After 35 years - the Dodge Grand Caravan is finished
 

It's really too bad as this was one of the greatest vehicles to come
out of the brand.

From TD
*****
The van loved by film crews and budget-conscious soccer moms
everywhere is about to go the way of the dinosaur. Fiat Chrysler
Automobiles (FCA) has announced that production of the Dodge Grand
Caravan will stop in late May, marking the end of the minivan’s
35-year run.

The writing has been on the wall for years now. As the Chrysler
Pacifica got all of the latest safety tech, sleek styling, and a
modern interior, the Dodge was left to languish in a purgatory of
middling options packages and an outdated design.

In its later years, the Grand Caravan became a shell of its former
self. When Chrysler exhumed the Pacifica nameplate for its minivan in
2017, the Grand Caravan began its slow descent into redundancy. The
Pacifica not only got all of the latest tech and comfort features, but
it also got fresh styling—much more palatable than the late-2000s chic
that the Dodge van carries.

The change will also impact production at FCA's Windsor, Ontario
plant, where the Grand Caravan was built. FCA says that its decision
will move the facility from a three-shift staffing structure to a more
traditional two-shift schedule, which will impact around 1,500
employees. The company will work to place the laid-off workers in
other roles, but there's no word on when or how that will happen. The
Drive has reached out to FCA for comment and will update this story as
more information becomes available.

Van fans can take solace in the fact that, as the Dodge Grand Caravan
makes its final ride into the sunset, Chrysler is reviving another
nameplate with the Voyager, a minivan that will be a bit smaller and
less expensive than the Pacifica. It’s not a Grand Caravan, but it
will carry more modern tech and better looks.

If you’re hoping to get your hands on one of the final 2020 Grand
Caravans new from a dealer’s lot, the deck is stacked against you.
Dodge says that the new van won’t be available in California,
Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New
York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington for
the remainder of its production run due to emissions regulations.

It might not be everyone's idea of a collector's item, but if you own
a Grand Caravan of any vintage, just know—they don't won't make 'em
like they used to.

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