Chrysler Keeps Third Shift at Minivan Plant; Saves VW Routan in Process

When Volkswagen announced a partnership with Chrysler to produce a heir to the old Volkwagen Bus throne, critics were stupefied. With the Caravan and Town and Country being so well known in their own rights, how could Volkswagen hope to distance their new Routan’s image from its then-DaimlerChrylser roots? The answer was simple: they couldn’t.

And as such, the Routan has been, for the most part, a complete flop.

Combine that with the much-talked-about Chrysler bankruptcy, and you have a recipe for the Routan’s demise. Having already ceased production earlier in the year due to slow sales, everyone expected the Routan’s obituary to appear when Chrysler announced the removal of the third shift at the Caravan/Town and Country/Routan production facility in Windsor, Ontario.

But, in light of a new labour agreement with the CAW, Chrysler has re-instated the fated third shift; securing 1,200 jobs, and the Routan’s future in the process. According to Volkswagen, the move to keep the Routan in production works towards their goal of obtaining 5% market share. However, having sold just 862 Routans since January 2009, chances of meeting that quota appear to be slim here in Canada, where the massive minivan market still totals 10% of total new car sales.