Compact van

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A compact van is a type of van popular in the United States during the early 1960s. They were characterized by a flat front design, mechanicals based on a compact car, size roughly the same as the VW Bus, and an engine placed either at the rear or between and behind the front seats. These models were replaced by full-size car vans at the end of the 1960s, which used body-on-frame construction and featured front engines under a short hood.

The flat front configuration was also used by Japanese vans. They were also replaced later by minivans, which were also based on car components, and sized like the original VW Bus. The compact vans often survive as alternatives to the Volkswagen Bus.

[edit] Compact vans in media

The main characters of the Scooby Doo cartoon series drove a compact van called the "Mystery Machine".

[edit] Examples

• Dodge A100
• Ford E-Series
• General Motors van - the original Chevy van and Greenbrier