It’s the bane of the suburban dad’s existence.
Teenagers wouldn’t be caught dead driving one to prom.
Yet, every family seems to have owned one at least once in their history: the MINI VAN.
Some people believe that the minivan was invented recently, with entries like the DODGE CARAVAN from 1983 leading the pack as The Original Minivan.
It wasn’t.
No, the honor of the WORLD’S FIRST MINIVAN goes all the way back to 1932, with the introduction of the STOUT SCARAB. The Scarab is also considered one of the UGLIEST CARS EVER MADE, but that’s a different conversation.
It was roomier than most other cars that day, thanks to its (unique, for the time) aluminum unibody construction. It also had another feature that we see in today’s minivans: a customizable interior, allowing for different configurations based on the need of the day.
Today, those Scarabs are considered collectors’ items. Maybe you should be cherishing those old parental hand-me-downs as you get older, rather than trading them in for something more practical (and with less character).
See photos of the 1932 Scout Scarab here: https://www.automobilemag.com/news/ugliest-cars-ever-made/