New formats, minivans and the Viper idea

Dodge's 1980s began with the Aries K-car, introduced in 1981. It was a major success that bolstered Chrysler's sales for several years. The Dodge Caravan minivan followed in 1984.

The decade closed with the Dynasty, introduced in 1988, which became the company's best seller, and with the Dodge Viper concept in 1989.

Chrysler spent much of the 1980s and 1990s repaying the loans that had kept it in business and pursuing new initiatives, including the minivan, to secure its long-term future.

In 1989 Dodge celebrated its 75th anniversary by unveiling the Viper as a concept car at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. In the 1990s the Dodge lineup included the Shadow, Daytona, Intrepid, Caravan and Grand Caravan, and late in the decade Dodge showed Power Wagon and Charger concepts.

Chrysler bought American Motors in August 1987, bringing Jeep into the corporate lineup. In 1998 Daimler-Benz purchased Chrysler, forming DaimlerChrysler AG.

The Viper began as a concept car in 1989 — a performance showpiece that stood apart from the family cars and minivans that made up most of the lineup.

The practical Caravan and the dramatic Viper concept show how wide Dodge's identity became in these years. By the late 1990s Dodge was marking 15 years of the minivan.