Behold,

the 1934 Stout-Scarab,

photographs and article wsj.com could this be the world's first mini van?

no bigger than a normal car of the period, 

because the engine was mounted at the rear, there was a lot more internal space, enough to fit a table,

designed by William Stout who was an American inventor known for his aviation and automotive designs, 

some of Stout's designs, from Motorcities.org

Roy Schneider, of Milwaukee, shows off his 1936 Stout Scarab, the first Scarab design was completed in 1932. It was never intended for production, but rather a concept model that would spark the imagination of other engineers, the second Stout model (1944) was made out of fiberglass and described by the inventor as the car for the future. There were no axles or chassis and the engine was located in the rear. The body could not be dented with a hammer or any other type of object. The interior was practically a small room with the floor measuring 6 feet wide and 11 feet long. The Stout Scarab III was built by the Owens/Corning in 1944-46 and the model was later donated to the Detroit Historical Museum in 1951, in all 9 models were made, it was considered too futuristic at the time, would it catch on today? who knows!