Cool Concepts: Plymouth Voyager III

Revealed in 1990, we detail the oddball Plymouth Voyager III concept.

When Plymouth lifted the wraps off the Plymouth Voyager III concept at the 1990 Detroit Auto Show – to what was no doubt a chorus of groans and muted smirks – the automotive world was at something of a turning point. The fuel crisis of the 1970s had gone some way to leaving a car market in its wake that focused more on downsizing and fuel economy, while the economic prosperity of the Reagan years was dwindling in the public’s rearview mirror. In these changing conditions, the days of thirsty, polluting, big-displacement engines and multi-car garages were numbered, and Plymouth’s parent company Chrysler knew it all too well.

It was perhaps with this mindset that the firm’s designers came up with the oddball Voyager III. Dubbed a “socially responsible vehicle-within-a-vehicle”, the concept comprised two separate modules in a miniature tractor-trailer arrangement. The front section was a three-seater city car in a similar vein to the Smart ForTwo that was powered by a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder “alternative-fuel engine” – possibly hinting at CNG.

This car featured an axle that could be retracted into the body, allowing it to dock with the rear module – an exercise assisted by an overhead-mounted TV with a reverse camera feed. The rear section featured a five-seater cabin with an optional fold-down bed, smoked rear privacy glass, a “state-of-the-art” stereo with individual headphone jacks, and its own climate control system. It also played host to its own powerplant – a 2.2-litre turbopetrol engine coupled with a four-speed automatic transmission – which combined with the front city car’s engine to produce around 190 kW in an AWD arrangement. The driver could choose whether to utilise just the front unit, or both, depending on the driving conditions and load capacity.

There was also an element of futureproofing in the Voyager III’s design, with Plymouth’s designers hinting that the city car could feature an electric powerplant at some stage, while the rear module could be offered in flatbed, camper, or boat-trailer variants. On the face of it, this was a clever idea. You’d buy one car and get the functionality of two – the front section being a small, easy-to park, and fuel-efficient city runabout that could be plugged into the rear to become a weekend-away minivan or recreational vehicle only marginally longer than Plymouth’s existing Grand Voyager MPV.

But there were some insurmountable issues. With the city car detached, the rear module would have to be parked somewhere safe, as its open-hatch design meant goods left inside would be unsecured and subject to the elements – not to mention folks and wildlife seeking refuge from said elements. The production costs were also prohibitive, especially for what was a niche market segment.

Ultimately, the Voyager III was relegated to the “clever-but-impractical” pile, but with the advent of EVs and their compatibility with modular body designs, something similar may emerge in years to come.

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