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Junkyard Gem: 1994 Dodge Caravan with manual transmission

The K Platform saved Chrysler from certain doom after the company's 1979 bailout by the federal government, and one of the most successful K-based vehicles was the one that spawned the American minivan craze in 1984: the original Dodge Caravan/Plymouth Voyager. Built all the way through the 1995 model year, these K-Caravans or K-Voyagers could be purchased with a four- or five-speed manual transmission, but just a handful were sold that way. Here's an extraordinarily rare late 5-speed example, spotted in a San Francisco Bay Area wrecking yard. The shifter location is a little awkward, requiring the driver to reach back a bit more than would be the case in, say, a Dodge Shadow (which shared the same powertrain). It's too bad that Chrysler never offered these vans with five-on-the-tree manuals. Even though plenty of Mitsubishi-V6-powered front-wheel-drive Chryslers of the late 1980s and early 1990s were available with manual transmissions (e.g., the Chrysler Laser/Dodge Daytona or the Plymouth Sundance/Dodge Shadow), Chrysler minivan shoppers who wanted a stickshift had to take the four-cylinder engine (either a Chrysler 2.2/2.5 or, in the early years, a Mitsubishi 2.6 Astron). This one has the naturally-aspirated 2.5-liter engine that went into so many Plymouth Acclaims and Chrysler LeBarons. In 1995, it was rated at 100 horsepower, which made for stately acceleration with a full load of passengers. For the 1989 and 1990 model years, a 150-horse turbocharged Chrysler 2.5 with 5-speed was the high-performance minivan setup... and you should let us know if you find a factory-built one. This is only the second example of a manual-trans-equipped 1990s Chrysler minivan I have found in the junkyard (the first was this '93 Voyager), and both vans were lightly-optioned El Cheapo models with cloth seats and hand-crank windows; the manual transmission was a bit cheaper than the automatic in those days. At least this one has air conditioning. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Advertising for these minivans tended to focus on price, price, price. Featured Gallery Junked 1994 Dodge Caravan with 5-speed View 18 Photos Auto News Dodge Minivan/Van dodge caravan

We're pretty sure the Challenger SRT Demon won't have 1,121 horsepower, but what if?

Dodge's slow rollout of the upcoming Demon continues, and with it comes endless speculation about what it all means. Every video, every image, and every press release contains some clue that points towards the Demon's final specs. We don't think any of it is random or arbitrary. This week cryptic image, a small plate with a name and two numbers, shows us a little more than last week's license plate. Unfortunately, Dodge will neither confirm or deny anything, meaning we have no way of knowing which rabbit hole to go down. Don't expect to see official horsepower, a quarter-mile time, or an MSRP until the New York Auto Show. The plate is attached to the crate of goodies that comes along with every Dodge Demon. This particular one is labeled with three things: Tom Coddington, serial number 0757, and VIN 001121. The name is simple enough. According to Hot Rod, Coddington was one of the original Ramchargers, a group of engineers in the early 1960s that helped Dodge get involved in drag racing. He was a fuel system specialist, motor consultant, and a rotating garage manager. All of that could be clues. While a name is easy enough to Google, the two numbers can't be broken down so easily. The crazier theory is that the car makes 1,121 horsepower and will do the quarter-mile in 7.57 seconds. Frankly, those numbers are about as likely as the Demon actually being powered by a Rolls-Royce turbofan engine from a Boeing 757 or packing a carburetor with 1,121 CFM. The Demon is going to be street legal, and the costs associated with making a 1,121-hp car meet emissions standards alone are assuredly astronomical. As our friends from Road & Track pointed out, the more likely theory is that 757 is actually the horsepower rating. This seems totally plausible, but it means we still don't know what 1,121 means. Surely it's not a drag strip time, as the standard Hellcat will do 1/4 mile in 11.2 seconds. Like before, if you have any ideas, post them in the comments. Until April, we'll keep trying to solve Dodge's demonic puzzle. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: Road & Track, Hot RodImage Credit: FCA New York Auto Show Dodge Coupe Performance dodge demon dodge hellcat

Marchionne on Alfa's US return, Dodge Dart's powertrain weakness and minivan plans

As a reporter covering an auto show, the one opportunity you never want to miss is going to the Sergio Marchionne press briefing.
"This undertaking to bring Alfa back is a one-shot deal... We are not going to do this twice."
There just aren't that many real characters left in the auto industry. Marchionne, who sits atop both Chrysler and Fiat, is not only one of the smartest execs in the business, but also the most frank. Herein, a sample of the quotable always-sweatered executive: