In the 1950s, surges in the economy led to a 27% increase in the housing supply. With more Americans now owning and maintaining their own homes, the need for service professionals grew considerably. Plumbers, electricians, mail carriers and delivery drivers were making house calls and needed a dependable work van to get them there.
Dodge rose to the occasion and introduced the 1951 Dodge Route Van. The 1951 Dodge Route Van was a “job-rated” chassis designed exclusively for efficient door-to-door delivery work.
Advertised as a “storeroom on wheels,” the Route Vans helped make deliveries in faster time, in larger quantity, with less driver fatigue and at lower cost.
The low-set floor of the Route Van (made possible by the special chassis design) saved energy. In fact, every day a driver would save approximately the amount of energy he’d need to climb the stairs of a fourteen-story building.
Available in two different chassis platforms and three body sizes, the 151 Route Van provided small business owners of yesterday the versatility they needed. Each van could be configured to suit the job at hand, delivering a payload range of between 1,775 lbs. and 7,500 lbs.
The 250 cubic-inch V-6 L-head engine was specially selected from a wide range of Dodge truck engines because it provided the best combination of power and economy for frequent stop operations.
The Chrysler Group is building upon the best of its commercial vehicle successes over the years and paving the way for the future with the Ram ProMaster and all-new Ram ProMaster City.
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