Chrysler Town & Country
Casey Williams, www.car-data.com
Since the early 1990s, the Chrysler Town & Country has set the standard for luxury mini-vanseven when nobody knew they wanted a luxury mini-van. Chrysler correctly understood that babyboomers and their parents would want a more luxurious vehicle, with leather seats and all, thatwould still carry kids, grandchildren, and stand in as a pickup-truck at home stores. As with mostgreat ideas, Chrysler had been there before.
Their lineage begins at least as far back as the 1920s when special purpose bodies were put atopproduction chassis to move passengers and luggage to and from train stations, thus the term’station wagon.’ Built by independent coachbuilders, the bodies were typically crafted from wood.Credited as the first factory-built wooden-bodied station wagon, the 1934 Plymouth Westchester madeassembly and purchase of these special vehicles much easier. The 1938 Westchester, produced byPlymouth and Dodge, was the first station wagon to be classified as a car, not a truck. Ford, GM,and others also developed wagon-bodied passenger cars ‘ mostly with wooden bodies.
The 1941 Chrysler Town & Country exploited a niche in the growing U.S. auto market when itbecame the first true luxury-oriented station wagon, replete with wooden bodysides, but with enoughelegance to look great in front of upscale mansions. Designed by A. B. ‘Buzz’ Grisinger beginningaround 1938, the car was more of a fastback sedan than pure wagon, as stylish as it was practical.After only two model years and 17 months of production, World War II put an end to the buzz.
Grisinger’s work was impressive nonetheless. The car was sculpted and streamlined, ending in astylized rear end with clamshell doors. Virtually every body panel, save the steel roof, was formedfrom curved pieces of white ash and mahogany, which looked great with body colors like St. ClairBlue, Polo Green and Sumac Red. It was a ‘truck’ created for the suburbs.
Interior accommodations were positively luxurious for the day. Six- and nine-passenger editionsfeatured fold-down rear seats to increase cargo space; nine-passenger models added limousine-stylejump seats behind the front seats. Chrysler’s L-head six-cylinder engine provided motion while asemi-automatic transmission made accessing its power easy.
Only 35 of the Westchester models were sold, but total production for the Town & Countryreached 1,996 units ‘ 1,646 of which could carry nine passengers, demonstrating a solid preferenceof buyers. The Chrysler mini-van was born 40 years before Lee Iacocca and his team received credit.
After WWII, T&C models reappeared, but only as convertibles, sedans, and hardtops.Production ended in 1950. From then until now, various station wagons have been called Town &Country, with wooden bodies giving way to steel ones with woodgrain stickers faking us out. Truthbe told, the care required for real wood ‘ similar to maintaining a teak yacht ‘ was more than mostbuyers would tolerate. The last Town & Country station wagon was produced in 1988, giving wayto a luxurious mini-van with the same name in 1990. Derided by some as ‘a lumber yard on wheels,’the Town & Country set standards that are carried on by today’s mini-vans.
Said Steven Landry, Executive V.P. ‘ Chrysler Group, ‘The 2008 Chrysler Town & Country andDodge Grand Caravan offer the best package of features for today’s busy families. With a dual DVDsystem that plays different media at the same time, pinpoint LED lighting to read by, a table toplay games or finish homework, a voice-activated navigation system with real-time traffic, powersliding doors and liftgate and YES Essentials’ fabric seats, every member of the family will enjoytheir journey.’
Instead of Town & Country, Chrysler could have named their luxury mini Town & Party.Parents can celebrate in the front with available Sirius Satellite Radio, automatic climate control, heated leather seats, and plenty of cubbies and cupholders to supply a tribe. The kids will love’Swivel n’ Go’ club seating with removable game table, Sirius Satellite television, and MyGig thatstores an iPOD’s worth of songs and video onboard. Whether you’re going to the mall,cross-continent, or to your grand pappy’s farm, the Chrysler Town & Country is ready to go.
Chrysler long ago sawed off the wood from the sides of its cars, but some things never change.As from the beginning, the Town & Country can carry a large family and all of their gear in acar-based package that looks as elegant at the train depot (or airport) as it does in front of amansion (or ranch house).
