Buy the World’s Cleanest 1989 Dodge Caravan With a Stick Shift for $18,225
Sure, it’s expensive, but it even has a turbo.
Every now and then a car that nobody thought to preserve when it was new suddenly becomes desirable. There's a slew of examples from pretty much every automaker, and one that's come to prominence recently is the stick shift, turbocharged variant of Dodge's first-gen Caravan. Yes, the first minivan ever built along with its Plymouth-branded sibling was available with a boosted 2.5-liter four-cylinder and a five-speed manual.
Not many people bought them, and not many survive today. However, there's one for sale on Facebook Marketplace right now in seemingly spotless condition. According to the seller, it's been stored in a warehouse for 17 years. With 93,000 miles on the odometer, it's likely as fresh as one of these cars is going to get.
Listed in Valley City, Ohio, the Caravan is apparently one of around 400 made. Its turbocharged engine makes 150 horsepower, which isn't a lot, but it's definitely adequate. Pair that with the five-speed manual transmission and you've got an unusual enthusiast car, especially for today.
The seller claims the car was recently detailed, and you can tell. The red cloth interior is glowing, and the exterior still has all of its stickers intact. Just the same, the red paint seems to be in good condition along with the engine bay.
The condition of this car is reflected in its price. No, it's not some crazy Bring a Trailer special that's going to fetch $50,000 from God-knows-who, but the $18,225 cost of entry here is still pretty steep for a 33-year-old minivan with 93,000 miles. Is it a special car? Yes. It's rare, it's desirable to the right buyer, and just look at the wood on the center console that's survived all these years. That's the magic of Lee Iacocca in action, baby—you just don't get that from any other automaker.
So if you want a piece of quirky automotive history, this is one that's ready to snap up. The seller says it might be the cleanest in existence. And you know what? They just might be right. You can verify that when it's sitting in your driveway.
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