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Ford Aerostar 1985-1997
The Ford Aerostar is a range of vans that was manufactured by Ford from the 1986 to the 1997 model years. The first minivan produced by Ford, the model line was marketed against the Chevrolet Astro/GMC Safari and the first two generations of the Chrysler minivans. Introduced shortly before the Ford Taurus, the Aerostar derived its name from its slope-nosed "one-box" exterior (although over six feet tall, the body of the Aerostar retained a drag coefficient of Cd=0.37, besting the Lincoln Mark VII).
The first minivan powered exclusively by V6 engines, the Aerostar was also one of the first vehicles to introduce all-wheel drive to the segment in North America. The model line was sold in multiple configurations, including passenger and cargo vans, along with an extended-length body. Sold primarily in the United States and Canada, a limited number of vehicles were exported outside of North America.
The Aerostar was replaced for the 1995 model year by the front-wheel drive Ford Windstar; Ford sold both model lines concurrently through the 1997 model year. The role of the Aerostar cargo van was left unfilled, with the Ford Transit Connect serving as the closest successor (in terms of size and capability).
For its entire production, the model line was assembled by the St. Louis Assembly Plant in Hazelwood, Missouri. In total, 2,029,577 vehicles were produced across a single generation.
[SIZE=1]Source: Wikipedia[/SIZE]
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Wow I saw these everywhere when I went to elementary school! Funny enough, these have all disintegrated while I still see early model Toyota Siennas and even Previas.
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When I was in highschool looking for my first car on Craigslist, these were the vehicles most-consistently listed for fewer than $100. Later in life, I met someone who has driven Aerostars exclusively for the last decade or two; picking them up for $200 or so (inflation's a bitch...) with 150,000 miles and using them until something minor breaks and, inevitably, totals the car. An interesting little life hack for those willing to forsake aesthetics entirely. He's been through half a dozen or so, but he says that, even in salt-free California, they're thinner and thinner on the ground these days.
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[QUOTE=f6fhellcat13;1024224]When I was in highschool looking for my first car on Craigslist, these were the vehicles most-consistently listed for fewer than $100. Later in life, I met someone who has driven Aerostars exclusively for the last decade or two; picking them up for $200 or so (inflation's a bitch...) with 150,000 miles and using them until something minor breaks and, inevitably, totals the car. An interesting little life hack for those willing to forsake aesthetics entirely. He's been through half a dozen or so, but he says that, even in salt-free California, they're thinner and thinner on the ground these days.[/QUOTE]
I mean when they were available I'm sure they were great beater cars/family haulers. Now that they're rarer it becomes harder to do that.
I think cars are overly complex now, they should be made simpler just to keep them running longer. As much as we're moving towards electric cars, we clearly have a long ways to go before electric cars become practical for everyone to use. Our electric grid is in shambles and we aren't even close to getting clean energy. I think rather than dumping all internal combustion cars, it would be better just to hold onto what we already have. Why throw out perfectly functioning cars?
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