Chrysler Pacifica Minivan

Chrysler Corporation introduced the minivan body type to the American market in 1984 (Wikipedia entry here).  The current iteration is the Pacifica, a 2017 redesigned van the was called the Town and Country, a name used by Chrysler for "woodie" convertibles and other body styles since the 1940s.  The name Pacifica itself was previously used for an early crossover SUV-like design.

This post features the Pacifica's side-window profile design for reasons to be made more clear in captions for the images below.

Gallery

This is a 2011 Chrysler Town and Country minivan.  Its purpose is to haul people in three rows of seats or stuff when seatbacks are lowered.  That is, it is shaped to maximize carrying capacity rather than to look attractive.

The vehicle was redesigned for the 2017 model year and renamed Pacifica.  Its windshield is raked back at a greater angle and the roofline is more curved in order to improve aerodynamic efficiency.  Note the "dogleg" shape of the aft side window, a major visual change from the Town and Country.

In recent decades that shape has been associated with BMW sedans, but was previously found on various production cars including 1953 Chevrolet Bel Air hardtops.  An early example is the 1936 Delage D6-70 Coach Panoramique by Letourneur et Marchand pictured here.

Rear quarter view.  What might seem to be a wraparound/panoramic backlight window actually isn't.  The triangular area bordered by the hatch cutline, taillight and C-pillar sheet metal is actually some molded black material placed over more of the C-pillar sheet metal.  In other words, the wraparound backlight is phony.

Side view.  Another design problem with the C-pillar as defined by gray painted sheet metal in this photo is that it strikes me as being too narrow.  I prefer that it be twice as wide (or thereabouts) than it is now.  That would make that part of the body seem less delicate.

A 2021 Pacifica -- a facelifted 2017.  The major change is frontal styling, though the upper side character line was slightly altered as well.

No change for the window treatment.  Probably the facelift budget was tight, but I would have pushed for widening the C-pillar or even have the aft window element lean forward rather than backwards as it is here.  And the fake wraparound might have been changed too.

Rear quarter view with the hatch opened.  This offers a better understanding of the body structure at the car's rear, something the facelifters could have used as the basis for some improved styling.