The Chevrolet Express is General Motors’ full-size van, in production since 1996 as the replacement for the G-series Chevrolet Van. It has had only one facelift in almost thirty years and is one of the longest-lived designs in American automotive history.
Chevrolet Express at a glance
| Production | since 1996 |
|---|---|
| Class | Full-size van, passenger and cargo |
| Replaced | Chevrolet G-series van |
| Twin model | GMC Savana |
| Assembly | Wentzville, Missouri |
| Cutaway chassis | from Navistar’s Springfield plant since 2017 |
| Front axle | moved forward 10 inches compared with the G-series |
| Airbags | dual front airbags standard on 1500 and 2500 from launch, all models from 1997 |
| Combined Express and Savana output | over three million |
| Facelift | 2003 |
History of the Chevrolet Express
For 1996 Chevrolet replaced the G-series van with the Express, keeping the Chevrolet Van name for cargo versions until 1999, when the whole line became the Express and the cargo model was renamed the Express Cargo Van. It was the first completely new design for the company’s full-size vans since 1971, and GM expected the segment to keep growing to the end of the decade. GMC’s version became the Savana, replacing the Vandura and Rally.
The biggest functional change was moving the front axle forward by ten inches, which took the front wheels out of the passenger compartment, improved front legroom and lowered the step-in height. The engine cover became smaller even though the engine sizes stayed the same, freeing more space for the front passengers. All vans below 8,500 lb gross vehicle weight, the 1500 and 2500 series, had dual airbags from the start, and all versions had them by 1997. Base and cargo models used a single sealed-beam halogen headlamp per side, while the LS trim had a composite lamp assembly.
A facelift arrived in 2003 and the van has changed little since. The Express and Savana are built at Wentzville, Missouri, and since 2017 cutaway chassis for ambulances, buses, motorhomes and small trucks have come from Navistar’s Springfield, Ohio plant. More than three million Express and Savana vans have been produced, and only the Jeep Wagoneer, Ford Econoline and Dodge Ram Van have had comparably long lives.
Design and features
- Front axle moved forward: better legroom and a lower step-in height than the G-series.
- Many bodies: passenger van, cargo van and cutaway chassis for conversions.
- Long production: one design since 1996 with a single 2003 facelift.
- Fleet favourite: widely used by police, ambulance and shuttle operators.
Chevrolet Express versions
- Passenger van: the windowed version for families and shuttle work.
- Cargo van: the panel-sided commercial version, called Chevrolet Van until 1999.
- Cutaway chassis: a chassis cab for ambulances, buses and motorhomes.
- 1500, 2500 and 3500: the light, medium and heavy payload series.
The Express replaced the Chevrolet Astro in the passenger range and is the van stablemate of the Chevrolet Silverado. More cars are in the Chevrolet collection.
Video: 2002 Chevrolet Express conversion van
Video by Saabkyle04 on YouTube.
Sources
- Chevrolet Express, English Wikipedia: history, design changes, production
_031.jpg){kind=link}
