How Regulation Killed the Station Wagon and Created the Minivan
5th July 2019
Stringent fuel economy regulations imposed on cars in the 1970s had made it practically impossible for automakers to keep selling big station wagons. Yet many Americans still wanted roomy vehicles.
The answer, Mr. Sperlich and Mr. Iacocca realized, was to make family vehicles that were regulated as light trucks, a category of vehicles that includes pickups. The government had placed far more lenient fuel economy rules on light trucks, as well as more lenient safety and air pollution standards.
July 6th, 2019 at 09:01
Tim,
Not mentioned, predictably, by the NYT is the reason why producing light trucks was such an advantage – the quid pro quo from the UAW to Lyndon Johnson as election support in 1964 – the still-active Chicken Tax raised tariffs on Volkswagen buses from 2.5% (on other vehicles) to 25%.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Type_2#US_Chicken_Tax
More: http://www.aei.org/publication/the-anti-consumer-25-chicken-tax-on-imported-trucks-has-insulated-the-big-3-from-foreign-competition-for-50-years/
July 6th, 2019 at 10:51
My, what a surprise.