What Was the First Year Dodge Produced a Van?
The Chrysler Corporation, now Chrysler LLC, began producing Dodge vans in 1964. The A-100 Series van was manufactured through 1970 and replaced by the B-Series. The B-Series was named the Ram van in 1979. The A-100 van was wider and taller than the Chevy Van and the Ford Econoline. Its dimensions made it popular for conversion to a camper.
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Origins
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As with its competitors, Chrysler responded to the growing popularity of the Volkswagen Type 2 Transporter. The first Dodge van sat on a 90-inch wheelbase and employed a "cab forward" design. Cab forward vehicles, typically found in big-rig trucks of the era, placed the engine directly between the driver and front passenger seat.
Cab Forward Benefits
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The cab forward concept was novel for passenger vehicles in 1964. While unusual for the early 1960s, the design layout afforded a flat floor in the rear cargo area. The rear-engine VW bus and Chevrolet Corvair Greenbrier couldn't make the same claim since the rear cargo area contained the engine compartment. The Chevy Van, a separate model from the Greenbrier, had a similar engine compartment layout as the Dodge.
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Drawbacks
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The most common complaint among early Dodge van owners was the heat and noise generated by the engine placement. The engine was at the elbow of the driver. Heat and noise seeped from the engine compartment when insulation became loose as these vans got older.
Dimensions
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The first Dodge vans featured 213 cubic feet of cargo space and had a 2,110-pound payload rating. The 90-inch wheelbase was offered through the A-100 Series' production run, but a 108-inch wheelbase was offered as an option beginning in 1967. The longer wheelbase added 43 more cubic feet of space. The van could carry up to nine passengers.
Inside
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The Custom Sports Special model featured Dodge Dart GT bucket seats, thick carpeting, heavy insulation and a center console from the Dodge Polara cars. The Camper Wagon was a conversion model with a pop-up roof. In 1969, Sportsman models were equipped with an optional icebox, sink and water tank. The dinette table and seats were converted into a bed and complemented by additional canvas bunks to sleep a total of four.
Power
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Only two engines were offered in the 1964 to 1966 Dodge vans: the 170-cubic-inch Slant-6 generating 101 horsepower and the 225-ci Slant-6 offering 145 horse. A 273-ci V-8 was an option beginning in 1965. The 318-ci V-8 was offered from 1967 to 1970.
Dodge Van Variant
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The A-100 Series van spawned the pickup truck version produced during the entire production run of the van. The truck was a basic A-100 Series van in every respect except the cargo bed was open like a pickup truck instead of being protected with sheet metal.
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References
- Photo Credit Chrysler LLC
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Comments
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ccrider77
Mar 09, 2011
Dodge & others such as Chevy, Ford, Willys & International did make small route vans prior to the 1960's. Some of these date back to the 1940's and 1950's. Although these were not set up to carry passengers, they could be ordered in small sizes with similar dimensions to modern vans. A few were cab forward and many shared front clip parts with the manufacturer's truck line.
