# What's this foreign mini-van? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 25, 2019, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-foreign-mini-van/840783 "2019-09-25T00:50:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-foreign-mini-van/840783/1 "2019-09-25T00:50:50Z")
Watching a video on Youtube, I noticed an unfamiliar vehicle during the “B-Roll” during the narration of a story. Tim index 11:47 European People Mover? ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-foreign-mini-van/840783/2 "2019-09-25T01:12:21Z")
I hate that you posted this. I’m stuck on a quest now. If it helps anyone, [here’s the stock footage roll](https://www.canstockphoto.com/search.php?related_image=30725333&related_mode=model). Maddeningly, they photoshopped out the logo on the grill. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-foreign-mini-van/840783/3 "2019-09-25T01:17:23Z")
Might have been Nissan’s first attempt at a minivan [(sold in the U.S. as the “Nissan Van”)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_Vanette) or Toyota’s similar [Toyota Van/VanWagon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_LiteAce#1976%E2%80%931982_(R10)_TownAce_van/truck), both of which were imported in the U.S. in the 1980s, and both of which made Chrysler’s original minivans look like a Corvette in comparison. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-foreign-mini-van/840783/4 "2019-09-25T01:18:49Z")
It rings a faint bell. Maybe cold war eastern block, either USSR, GDR or CSSR. But that’s just a hunch. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-foreign-mini-van/840783/5 "2019-09-25T01:24:22Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > It rings a faint bell. Maybe cold war eastern block, either USSR, GDR or CSSR. But that’s just a hunch. Yes, it’s got a very eastern European/Soviet vibe. The seats in that particular van (from the link I posted) are modern-ish, 90s or so, so one of those 1950s designs that they built for 40 years… ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-foreign-mini-van/840783/6 "2019-09-25T01:27:27Z")
I’m pretty sure that’s a Toyota HiAce, but I can’t find a picture of that exact model. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-foreign-mini-van/840783/7 "2019-09-25T01:29:00Z")
It think it’s a [Skoda 1203](https://www.extratouch.de/detail/ein-skoda-kleintransporter-fuer-alle/) (sorry, for now only German link). ETA: wiki link: [Skoda 1203](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%A0koda_1203) ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-foreign-mini-van/840783/8 "2019-09-25T01:36:13Z")
I can confirm **EinsteinsHund** ’s post: [it’s a Skoda 1203](https://autobible.euro.cz/test-skoda-1203-ceskoslovenska-legenda-slavi-pul-stoleti/). [Google image page](https://www.google.com/search?biw=1263&bih=943&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=mcSKXfG2HaTB7gKppbiIBg&q=skoda+1203&oq=skoda+1203&gs_l=img.3...0.0..4951...0.0..0.0.0.......0......gws-wiz-img.jzxHmoS-eRQ&ved=0ahUKEwix5_vy6urkAhWkoFsKHakSDmEQ4dUDCAY&uact=5). Nice work, **EinsteinsHund**! ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-foreign-mini-van/840783/9 "2019-09-25T01:39:10Z")
Yes, thank you!!! Based on that specific grill it’s probably a TAZ 1500, built all the way up through the late 90s (!) [Here’s an exact match](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%C5%A0koda_1203_Ambulance_Sanitka_Olomouc_TAZ.JPG). ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-foreign-mini-van/840783/10 "2019-09-25T01:43:37Z")
wtf duplicate post ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-foreign-mini-van/840783/11 "2019-09-25T01:42:08Z")
The overhang is on the 1203 too, but not the TAZ 1500. Not even an hour since the OP, too. We still got it! ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-foreign-mini-van/840783/12 "2019-09-25T01:44:32Z")
nm (double post) ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-foreign-mini-van/840783/13 "2019-09-25T01:46:14Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I can confirm **EinsteinsHund** ’s post: [it’s a Skoda 1203](https://autobible.euro.cz/test-skoda-1203-ceskoslovenska-legenda-slavi-pul-stoleti/). > > [Google image page](https://www.google.com/search?biw=1263&bih=943&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=mcSKXfG2HaTB7gKppbiIBg&q=skoda+1203&oq=skoda+1203&gs_l=img.3...0.0..4951...0.0..0.0.0.......0......gws-wiz-img.jzxHmoS-eRQ&ved=0ahUKEwix5_vy6urkAhWkoFsKHakSDmEQ4dUDCAY&uact=5). > > Nice work, **EinsteinsHund**! I’m a Skoda driver myself, maybe that gave me an edge 🙂 (not really, I’ve got a 2009 Fabia that looks like every other modern European compact car). It might be that I’ve seen such a car on the road here somewhere somewhen, I faintly knew the type and thinking of Skoda, a little bell rung. Google did the rest. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-foreign-mini-van/840783/14 "2019-09-25T01:54:39Z")
this reminds me of when I saw one of Volvos first minivans… remember the metal rectangle box that Nabisco used to sell the saltine crackers in occasionally? pot a dashboard and wheels on it anf you’ve got one … it was totally white except the loading door had “Volvo” in green letters on it … looked like you could roll it down a hill and just scratch off some paint … it was an early 80s model is all i ever found out about it We joked not much has changed in 40 years… ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-foreign-mini-van/840783/15 "2019-09-25T01:54:42Z")
Hey, there’s just something about Soviet/Eastern Bloc design, ain’t there? Simple, spartan…just straight-forward, no-nonsense utility. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-foreign-mini-van/840783/16 "2019-09-25T01:57:01Z")
yeah, but they had no concern for gas mileage on their stuff usually … you were lucky to get 8 miles to a gallon …