The Popular '70s Candy Bar That Mysteriously Disappeared
The Caravelle was a vintage chocolate bar you might have stolen from your grandparents' candy stash, with a softer caramel and creamier texture that won over a loyal fan base. But in the late '70s, this fan favorite began vanishing from shelves. The timing was suspicious: Peter Paul, the company behind Caravelle, had just merged with Cadbury Schweppes, the same company behind some of the most popular soda brands.
No official explanation ever came, but longtime candy fans have traded theories for decades. Some believe the bar had a shelf life issue, while others point to competition from better-marketed rivals or the possibility that Caravelle simply didn't fit into Cadbury Schweppes' vision for its newly expanded U.S. chocolate business. Whatever the reason, the decision left loyalists scratching their heads — and craving one last bite.
Its disappearance wasn't just a corporate footnote; it marked the quiet end of one of Peter Paul's most unique creations. This one never got the modern revival it deserved.
From fan favorite to forgotten: Caravelle's final years
Peter Paul Candy Manufacturing Company rolled out the Caravelle in 1965. It took a simple formula — caramel, crisped rice, and milk chocolate — and made it into something smoother and softer than its closest rival, Nestlé's $100,000 Bar. Peter Paul already had hits like Almond Joy and Mounds, but Caravelle stood out for its balanced sweetness and chewy center. Early commercials promised it would "make your mouth so happy," and for a while, it did. There was even a peanut butter version, though it never caught on.
Still, caramel does have a way of complicating things — after all, caramel became the downfall of Hershey's discontinued Bar None, another chocolate casualty with a devoted following. Even after the 1978 merger with Cadbury Schweppes sidelined Caravelle, Peter Paul made efforts to bring it back, experimenting with updated packaging and fresh ad campaigns. But the changes failed to generate much buzz, and sales never returned to their earlier highs.
By the time Hershey acquired Peter Paul's U.S. chocolate business in 1988, Caravelle was already fading from the market. It disappeared for good in the mid-1990s and, unlike other retro sweets that have been revived for nostalgic cash-ins, it's never made a comeback — leaving only hazy memories and the occasional vintage wrapper to prove it ever existed.