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27-516: The Astro and Safari used a rear-wheel-drive chassis; all-wheel drive became an option in 1990. For its entire production, the Astro and Safari were produced by Baltimore Assembly in Baltimore, Maryland ; the vans would be the final model line produced by the facility. In total, approximately 3.2 million Astros and Safaris were produced from 1985 through 2005. The Astro and Safari were introduced for

54-404: A 98 hp (73 kW; 99 PS) 2.5L four-cylinder to a 200 hp (149 kW; 203 PS) 4.3L V6, depending on options and model year. The 4-cylinder engine was only offered in short-length, rear-wheel-drive cargo vans, as well as passenger vans for 1985 only; it was dropped after 1990. For 1985, the 4.3L V6 (RPO LB1) used a 4-barrel carburetor. For 1986, throttle body fuel injection (TBI)

81-529: A fixed, offset barrier. The underbody of the test van buckled, pitching both front seats forward and shoving the crash dummy into the dashboard and steering wheel , resulting in a broken left leg, leading the institute to comment that "[t]he collapse of the occupant compartment left little survival space for the driver." In testing performed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA); however,

108-580: A much shorter half-life in people than PFOS (a little over one month vs. 5.4 years). 3M now states that Scotchgard utilizes a proprietary fluorinated urethane . During 1999, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began an investigation into the class of chemicals used in Scotchgard, after receiving information on the global distribution and toxicity of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS),

135-533: Is rebuilding the site as an industrial park called the Chesapeake Commerce Center. Scotchgard Scotchgard is a 3M brand of products, a stain repellent and durable water repellent applied to fabric , furniture , and carpets to protect them from stains. Scotchgard products typically rely on organofluorine chemicals as the main active ingredient along with petroleum distillate solvents. The original formula for Scotchgard

162-645: The Chevrolet S-10 , allowing for a towing capacity of up to 5,500 lb (2,500 kg). Prior to its use on a minivan, the Astro nameplate was used twice by General Motors; in 1967 (for the Chevrolet Astro 1 concept car) and from 1969 until 1987 (on the GMC Astro COE semitractor). GMC sourced the Safari nameplate from Pontiac (used by the latter to denote station wagons). As GMC was half of

189-599: The GMT 325/330 mid-size S/T pickups and utility vehicles. Digital dashboards were offered in the first-generation Astro; this option did not continue after 1995. 1989 was the final year that the BorgWarner T-5 manual transmission was made available. All subsequent models were equipped with 700R4/4L60 automatic transmissions through 1993. In 1990, a new all-wheel drive (AWD) system (the first U.S.-built minivan to do so), designed and developed by FF Developments (FFD),

216-466: The Pontiac Safari and Buick Estate Wagon ) with a leaf-spring rear suspension. The lower ball joints were larger than their B-body counterparts (similar to the 1977–96 Cadillac D platform vehicles; e.g., Fleetwood limousines). These ball joints were later used in the final Chevrolet Caprice 9C1 (police package) cars manufactured in 1995 and 1996. They also shared many mechanical similarities to

243-449: The "key ingredient" of Scotchgard. The compound perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA), a PFOS precursor, was an ingredient and also has been described as the "key ingredient" of Scotchgard. Under US EPA pressure, in May 2000, 3M announced the phaseout of the production of PFOA , PFOS, and PFOS-related products. In May 2009, PFOS was determined to be a persistent organic pollutant (POP) by

270-466: The 1985 model year as the first minivan from General Motors. While marketed as a response to the first-generation Chrysler minivans , GM selected a rear-wheel drive layout, sizing the Astro and Safari closely to the short-wheelbase Chevrolet G10 van . Similar to the Ford Aerostar , to reduce production costs, GM adapted light-truck powertrain components; engines and transmissions were sourced from

297-495: The Astro and Safari fared better, improving from a single-star rating in 1991 to a three-star (driver) and four-star (passenger) rating by 2000. In side impacts, the Astro and Safari both received the highest, five-star rating in every year that the test was administered. In 2007, the IIHS reported that the 2001–2004 model year Chevrolet Astro recorded during calendar years 2002–2005 the fewest killed drivers of all passenger vehicles in

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324-623: The Canton Industrial Center to the east of the Inner Harbor , to the west of Dundalk , and south of Brewers Hill in Baltimore. Early in 1942, car and truck production was interrupted when the plant was converted to wartime activities. The Chevrolet portion of the plant operated as a military parts depot where parts were received, processed and packaged for shipment around the world. The Fisher Body plant became part of

351-507: The Eastern Aircraft Division of General Motors Corp. and was assigned the task of assembling fuselages for Grumman carrier-based aircraft. Although Chevrolet cars and trucks had represented the largest portion of the Baltimore plant's production, other car lines also have been manufactured. The versatility of the plant was tested in 1964 when Buicks, Chevrolets, Oldsmobiles and Pontiacs were assembled one after another on

378-555: The Pontiac/GMC Division (later including Buick), from 1985 through 1989, both GMC and Pontiac Safaris were simultaneously offered through the same dealership network. Initial advertising boasted that it was a vehicle that will "make you realize that life is too big for a minivan ," referring to the Chrysler minivans . The van can have a seating configuration between two and eight passengers. Engine choices ranged from

405-480: The United States, as calculated per every million units on the road. Drivers' habits and vehicle usage might have influenced this result. Baltimore Assembly Baltimore Assembly (properly named Broening Highway General Motors Plant ) was a General Motors factory in Baltimore, Maryland . The plant opened in 1935 to produce Chevrolets and closed on May 13, 2005. It was a two-level plant located in

432-442: The assembly line on May 13, 2005. For the 1995 model year, GM started manufacturing most of its vehicles, including the Astro and Safari, with CFC-free air conditioning systems, which used R134a refrigerant instead of R-12 refrigerant. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), gave the Astro a "Poor" rating in 1996 because of a display of structural failure in the institute's 40 mph (64 km/h) crash test into

459-438: The mini-vans then coming into production. The GM vans filled a unique market for a midsize van with large interior space and very good towing capacity. The vans were periodically updated with revised interiors and exterior styling during the very long production run. Both two-wheel drive (M van) and all-wheel drive (L-van) models were produced. Initial production from 1985 to 1989 was a short-body van, with an extended-body (aft of

486-420: The model year. For 1995, the model was facelifted with an extended nose that resembled the then-new full-size Express vans; while the original rectangular sealed-beam headlights were retained for use on lower trim levels, higher-spec models now used horizontally-mounted rectangular headlights that had debuted on the full-size trucks in 1988, and would eventually appear on the smaller trucks in 1998. Also for 1995,

513-402: The rear wheels) option available from 1990 to 1994. Due to overwhelming popularity, only extended versions were available from 1995 to 2005. In total, approximately 3,200,000 Astro and Safari vans were produced at the Baltimore plant. The plant closed its doors after the final shift on May 13, 2005. GM has since sold the site to the developer Duke Realty , which has demolished the old plant and

540-500: The same passenger car line. In the ensuing years, the number of car lines produced has changed several times. GMC Truck and Coach Division shared Baltimore's truck production as early as the 1947 model year. Baltimore Assembly scored a major coup with the 1984 decision to assemble the Chevrolet Astro / GMC Safari minivans there. The rival Dodge Caravan was selling briskly, but the truck-like GM vans were larger than most of

567-403: The second-shift production was eliminated in the summer of 2000. Sales of the Astro totaled only 15,709 in 2003, down about 16% from 2002. By 2004, sales of the Chevrolet Astro and GMC Safari vans were in a downward trend, and the cost of upgrading the vans to meet new 2005 safety standards was too high. As a result, production at the Baltimore facility was stopped, with the last example rolling off

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594-474: The short-length body was dropped. In 1996, a redesigned dash received a passenger-side airbag. The vans remained mostly unchanged until the end of production in 2005. For 2003, GM upgraded the chassis of both the Astro and Safari with certain suspension components, four-wheel disc brakes, and six-lug 16-inch wheels from the full-size Chevrolet and GMC half-ton pickup trucks. Production in 1998 totaled 32,736 units. However, sales from that point were decreasing and

621-482: The shorter version, also became available. In 1992, a new optional door form was introduced, colloquially known as Dutch doors. This form was two bi-parting doors with a flip-up window above. Previously, Astro and Safari vans were equipped only with bi-parting doors. An optional 4.3L V6 (RPO L35) engine with central port injection and a balance shaft was phased in. In 1993, the electronically-controlled 4L60E 4-speed automatic transmission with overdrive became standard as

648-477: The sole transmission offering. As with many other 1993 model year GM vehicles, Scotchgard fabric protection also became a standard feature on Astro vans equipped with cloth seats. 1994 saw the addition of three new exterior paint colors. These colors were Indigo Blue Metallic (#39), Light Quasar Blue Metallic (#20), and Medium Quasar Blue Metallic (#80). The Astro and Safari also received center high mount stop lamps for 1994, which had been mandated on light trucks for

675-447: Was discovered accidentally in 1952 by 3M chemists Patsy Sherman and Samuel Smith , although Patsy Sherman holds 13 patents regarding Scotchgard and is generally recognized as the scientist who discovered Scotchgard's possibilities. Sales began in 1956, and in 1973 the two chemists received a patent for the formula. 3M reformulated Scotchgard and since June 2003 has replaced PFOS with perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS). PFBS has

702-517: Was made optional. The AWD models had a lower fuel economy: 17 miles per gallon on the highway versus 20 to 21 miles per gallon for rear-wheel-drive vans. AWD Astros used a BorgWarner 4472 transfer case. The 1990 model year also introduced a new analog dashboard and the Hydroboost braking system, a system using the same accessory belt-driven pump to supply the power steering and brakes. In mid-1990, an extended body option, sharing its wheelbase with

729-654: Was used. For 1992 and later years, a central port injection was used. Much like the second-generation F-body 1970–1981 and X-body vehicles, the Astro/Safari (internally designated as the M-body for RWD models or L-body for AWD models) had a bolt-on subframe. For the M-van, the front suspension shared most components with the GM B-body station wagon ( Chevrolet Caprice , Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser and larger variants of

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