Year of Chevrolet VAN
Chevrolet VAN photos, specs - Car Pictures & Images
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This page talks about the 1964-1996 Chevrolet Van and GMC Vandura. For the long-wheelbase versions (Beauville/ Rally), see Chevrolet Beauville. For the post-1996 successor, see Chevrolet Express.
The Chevrolet Van was one of several vans made by General Motors for North America. Its strongest competition was the Ford Econoline van and the Dodge Ram Van. The term "Chevrolet van" also refers to the entire series of vans sold by Chevrolet. The first Chevrolet van was released in 1961 on the Corvair platform, and the latest Chevrolet van in production is the Chevrolet Express. |
The first General Motors van was the Chevrolet Corvair-based Greenbrier van, introduced for 1961, which used a flat-6 opposed rear engine with air cooling, inspired by the Volkswagen bus. The ChevyVan (1964-1970) was, like the competing Ford Econoline and Dodge A100, a compact van based on a modified passenger car platform. The engine was placed between and behind the front seats with a flat nose. Both engines and brakes were sourced from the Chevy II, a more conventional compact car than Corvair. This model was also sold as the GMC Handi-Van. The second generation ChevyVan/ Vandura introduced for 1971 followed the engine-forward design of the 1968 Ford Econoline. The engine was placed forward of the driver with a short nose and hood. Suspension parts and engines came from the Chevrolet/ GMC C-series pickup trucks. The third generation Express and Savana of the 1990s adopted aerodynamic styling, without exposed hinges on the rear doors. Taillights were placed high on the rear pillars. The extended 15 passenger version rode on a longer wheelbase, rather than just an extended body, and a left-side door was made available, for the declining passenger van market. 1963The original "classic" flat windshield van. Four or Six Cyl inline engines. Very strait forward construction and a boxy design optimized for hauling cargo, tools and equipment around town. Not well suited for highway use. The base cargo model was the "HANDIVAN", available with or without windows and side doors in the rear. Even the heater and right front passenger seat were options. A slightly spiffier window model designed for passengers was called the "SPORTVAN". 1967A slightly restyled version with a rounded windshield, bigger engine and better brakes was released. V8 engines were available for the 1st time. The short wheelbase vans measured 90inches (2,286mm), while the long wheelbase was 108-inch (2,743mm) 1971All new bodystyle was introduced this year, which continued until the end of the 1995 model year. » Read More About Chevrolet VAN |