Chrysler practically invented the modern family hauler. The brand’s early-1980s minivan didn’t just sell well — it reshaped the entire automotive landscape and kept Chrysler profitable for the better part of two decades. But tastes shift, and by the late 2000s the minivan’s cultural cachet had evaporated almost overnight. Crossovers and SUVs were eating its lunch, and Chrysler needed a response. The answer the company landed on was equal parts clever and cynical: take the Dodge Durango, dress it in chrome and leather, and badge it as the Chrysler Aspen. It didn’t go as planned.
Â
