The first minivan powered exclusively by V6 engines, the Aerostar was also one of the first vehicles to introduce all-wheel drive to the segment in North America.

The role of the Aerostar cargo van was left unfilled, with the Ford Transit Connect serving as the closest successor (in terms of size and capability).

The Carousel also received a more steeply raked windshield, a new, longer, front fascia, and a wagon-style roofline, with wraparound window glass.

The interior of the prototype was fitted two rear bench seats trimmed similar to the Ford Country Squire and Mercury Colony Park.

While the prototype would receive a positive response from many Ford executives, for a potential 1976 introduction, the Carousel did not reach production under any model name.

In 1974, Ford management ended development of the Carousel prototype; through the rest of the 1970s, the company continued to see potential in "garageable vans", pursuing further design and market research on the subject.

[5] By 1980, Ford committed to a smaller vehicle, partially as the American automotive industry learned of the development of the Chrysler minivans; following the 1979 gas crisis, the company felt a 1980s release of the Carousel (a rebodied E-Series) could be an uncompetitive decision.

[5] To lower production and engineering costs, the rear-wheel drive configuration allowed shared mechanical components with multiple Ford light trucks.

Though the company would ultimately trail the Chrysler minivans by nearly two years in its introduction, Ford considered innovative design and features as a key selling point of the vehicle.

While using unibody chassis construction to reduce weight, the hybrid frame design provided the Aerostar with a 5,000-pound tow rating (2+1⁄2 times the Caravan/Voyager, and matching that of the Chevrolet Astro/GMC Safari.

[citation needed] Initially intended as an option, the four-cylinder turbodiesel of the 1984 concept vehicle was dropped after prototype testing.

[11] The E-4WD system used a Dana TC28 transfer case with a center differential (regulated by an electronically controlled electro-magnetic clutch); all four wheels received traction at all times.

Following the 1997 discontinuation of the model line, Ford did not offer all-wheel drive as an option for North American-market vans until the 2020 Transit.

For 1997, the taillamps were revised for the first time (with the deletion of the amber turn signal lenses); XLT-trim vehicles received newly designed 14×6" seven-hole alloy wheels.

Sharing the same 2-2-3 seven-passenger layout of its Chrysler and GM competitors, XLT and Eddie Bauer-trim vehicles were offered with optional second-row bucket seats (a feature popularized from full-size conversion vans).

At its launch, the Aerostar used a floor-mounted shifter for both its manual and automatic transmissions; it was equipped with a handbrake (which remains a feature in all US-market Ford minivans).

While cupholders were relegated to an optional armrest in the third-row seats (and a later console on the engine cover), the vehicle could be specified with up to two cigarette lighters and six ashtrays.

Coinciding with the addition of a driver-side airbag (and three-point seatbelts for all six outboard seats), the dashboard underwent a complete redesign.

Both analog and digital instrument panels were replaced by more legible units; the controls were improved (many shared with the redesigned 1992 Econoline), introducing a column-shift automatic transmission.

Many features standard on the XLT were available as extra-cost options on the XL, such as power windows, mirrors, and locks; air conditioning; and privacy glass.

Similar to its Chevrolet Astro RS/GMC Safari CS and Dodge Caravan ES counterparts, the Aerostar Sport was largely a cosmetic upgrade.

In its research, Ford found that potential buyers preferred the configuration over rear and mid-engine vehicles (used by German/Japanese imported vans).

[8] Introduced at the 1987 Frankfurt Auto Show,[12] the HFX (High Feature Experimental) Aerostar Ghia was a prototype of future minivan design.

The HFX concept borrowed some features used in other Ford vehicles, such as four-wheel air suspension and electronic climate control.

From there, some of the technologies showcased in the HFX had never before been seen in a minivan; this included run-flat tires, adjustable pedals, power-sliding side doors, electric power steering, ABS, traction control, seatbelt pretensioners, and movable grille shutters.

Imported into North America since 2010, the front-wheel drive Transit Connect is also offered in passenger configurations; a 2014 redesign led to the first seven-seat Ford minivan since 2007.