Chrysler Neon

The Neon is a compact car built from November 1993 until 2005 by the American Chrysler Corporation over two generations. It has a front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout and was available in two-door and four-door sedan body styles. In the United States and Canada, it was sold as either a Dodge or a Plymouth, while in Europe, Mexico, Japan, South Korea, Egypt, Australia, South Africa, and South America, it was branded as a Chrysler.
The Neon was offered in multiple versions and configurations over its production life, which lasted from the 1995 model year until 2005. The Neon nameplate was subsequently resurrected in 2016 for the Dodge Neon, a rebadged variant of the Fiat Tipo sedan for the Mexican and the Middle Eastern market.

1991 concept car

The Neon nameplate first appeared as an environmentally-friendly concept car in 1991 at the Frankfurt Motor Show under the Dodge brand. It was radically styled and not production-ready, but some design elements resembled the future production vehicle. The concept car incorporated unique features that included four power sliding doors opening from the center with no B-pillar, a power-operated full-length fabric sunroof with a drop-down rear window, a trash compactor to help eliminate litter, and the car was powered by a two-stroke, three-cylinder, 1.1 L engine rated at supplied by Mercury Marine.
The Neon concept was designed by Chrysler designers who had joined the company from Chrysler's buyout of American Motors Corporation in 1987. The goals for the former AMC designers were for a car that was "lightweight, fuel sipping, powerful, comfortable in an American manner, yet to cost no more than a bit under $4,000 to build, with a retail sales price of no more than $8,000". They also incorporated recycled materials or components throughout the car that could be recycled including identifying interior plastics so that they could be easily processed into reusable elements. The Dodge Neon concept car earned a gold IDEA91 award by the Industrial Designers Society of America.

First generation (1994)

The first generation Neon was introduced at the 1993 Frankfurt Motor Show and went on sale in January 1994 for the 1995 model year. It was available as a four-door notchback sedan and a two-door notchback coupe. Available engines were SOHC and DOHC versions of Chrysler's 2.0 L 4-cylinder engine producing at 6,000 rpm and at 5,000 rpm or at 6,500 rpm and at 5,600 rpm, respectively; transmission options were a 3-speed Torqueflite automatic or a five-speed manual.
The car was badged and sold as both a Dodge and a Plymouth in the United States and Canada; in Mexico and Gulf Cooperation Council it was sold as a Dodge and a Chrysler, and in Europe, Australia, and other export markets it was sold as the Chrysler Neon. At the Neon's release, then president of Chrysler Corporation Bob Lutz said, "There's an old saying in Detroit: 'Good, fast, or cheap. Pick any two.' We refuse to accept that." The Japanese press touted the Neon as the "Japanese car killer", due to a spiraling Yen due to the Japanese "bubble economy" crash and the lower production cost of the Neon. The Neon also became the first Chrysler small car sold in Japan but despite focused attention, only 994 were sold in Japan between June and December 1996. The Neon was classed in the larger "Normal sized Passenger vehicles" tax bracket according to the Japanese Government dimension regulations which obligated Japanese owners for additional yearly road taxes which affected sales. The Neon received praise for its appearance, price, and power when compared to competing cars such as the Honda Civic DX at, the Civic EX at, the Nissan Sentra at, the Ford Escort ZX2 at, the Toyota Corolla at, the Saturn S-Series at for SOHC variants and for DOHC variants, and the Chevrolet Cavalier Base and LS models at, among others. Car and Driver tested the DOHC 5-speed equipped Neon R/T and reported that it could run 0–60 in 7.6 seconds and 16.0 seconds in the quarter mile. First-generation Neons were competitive in SCCA Solo autocross and showroom-stock road racing.

Equipment

Neons had unconventional option availability, including the lack of power windows in the rear doors. Certain color base-model Neons, including red and black, had bumper covers molded in color rather than painted. These covers, while textured and not as glossy as paint, absorbed scuffs and scrapes with less visible damage. The mid-level Highline models for 1995 and 1996 used wheel covers with a bubble design. Initially, Neons were available in many bold colors including Nitro yellow-green, Lapis Blue, Aqua, and Magenta. Paint color choices became more subdued by the 1998-1999 model years, as the majority of buyers opted for more conventional tones.
In the Australian market, Chrysler Neons came in two models, the SE and the better-equipped LX. Later, the LX model was replaced by the LE with the updated model in 1999.
In Japan, only the sedan was offered. It was very similar to those sold in the Australian market. it was equipped with amber turn signal indicators next to the tail lights to comply with Japanese regulations and a side indicator installed in the fender behind the front wheel opening.
In the United States, the lineup started out as Base, Highline, and Sport, with different styles and options in each line, but the lineup titles changed frequently.
In Europe, the car was available with a 1.8 L engine. Europe received one limited edition model, the CS that came only in Platinum paint. It was fitted with the SOHC engine, North American R/T specification suspension, rear spoiler, unique alloy wheels, standard leather interior, dual stainless steel exhaust, a six-CD changer, and a shorter 5-speed manual gearbox.

Production figures

*Production figures for 1999 were not provided

	Coupe	Sedan	Yearly Total
1995	24,704	89,607	114,311
1996	28,129	75,684	103,813
1997	22,108	60,713	82,821
1998	18,545	68,521	87,066
1999	*	*	*

*Production figures for 1999 were not provided

Trim levels

Plymouth Neon: 1995–1999

base – 1995–1995 - Standard features included a 2.0 L Inline 4-cylinder engine, 5-speed manual transmission, 13-inch steel wheels with wheel covers, AM/FM stereo with 4 speakers, and dual front SRS airbags.
Highline – 1994–1999- Added to Base air conditioning, side molding, daytime lights, remote trunk release, painted bumper.
Sport – 1994–1996- Added to Highline color-keyed wheel covers, AM/FM stereo with a cassette player, equalizer, CD changer controls, and 6 speakers.
Expresso – 1995–1999- Added to Highline power front windows an AM/FM stereo with cassette player.
EX – 1997–1999
ACR – 1995–1999- Stood for American Club Racer, added alloy wheels to Base.
Style – 1997–1999

Dodge Neon: 1995–1999

base – 1995-1995- Standard features included 2.0L Inline 4-Cylinder engine, 5-speed manual transmission., 13-inch steel wheels with wheel covers, AM/FM stereo with 4 speakers, and dual front SRS airbags.
Highline – 1995–1999- Added to Base air conditioning. 14 inch wheel steel wheels with wheel covers. can be optioned with the "power bulge hood" as well as a "surfboard style" spoiler. The highline trim was the "base model" closer to the end of the 1st generation.
Sport – 1995–1999- Added to Highline color-keyed wheel covers, AM/FM stereo with a cassette player including an equalizer, CD changer controls, and 6 speakers.
EX- 1997–1999 The EX trim was a package that included 2.0L DOHC, Tilt steering, Front/Rear floor mats, AM/FM/Cassette and six speakers, power bulge hood, rear deck spoiler, cast-aluminum “Neon” alloys, and “EX” decals on the C-pillars.
ACR – 1995–1999- Stood for American Club Racer, added alloy wheels to Base. came with fog light orientated bumper. originally only sold to SCCA members.
R/T – 1998–1999- Added to Highline white hood and trunk "Rally" stripes, white-painted alloy wheels, AM/FM stereo with a cassette player including an equalizer, CD changer controls, and 6 speakers, as well as a rear "Surfboard style" spoiler.

Chrysler Neon : 1995–1999

LE – 1995–1999
LX – 1995–1999
SLX – June 1997 – 1999
GLX – October 1997 – 1999
CS – February 1998 – 1999
Special models

ACR

The ACR Neon, available with the DOHC engine, featured four-wheel disc brakes, Arvin non-adjustable struts for 1995–1996 models and Koni adjustable dampers for 1997–1999 models, thicker anti-sway bars, stiffer suspension bushings, fast-ratio steering, heavy-duty wheel hubs, and a five-speed manual transmission with a shorter.81 fifth gear and final drive ratio of 3.94 for quicker acceleration. 1995 through 1997 models featured adjustable camber. The computer-controlled speed limiter was removed from 1995 ACR models, and ABS was also, to save weight. The ACR offers no badging to distinguish it from other Neon models; the only visible differences are a bumper with fog light holes, but no fog lights and a lack of side moldings. For the 1995 model year, the ACR was only offered to SCCA members, but in subsequent years it was available to the general public. The name "ACR" was initially the internal ordering code for the "Competition Package", as it was termed in dealer materials; however, as knowledge of the model spread, the ACR name stuck. The backronym "American Club Racer" was coined due to its popularity with club and grassroots racers. To save weight, both the standard A/M-F/M radio with cassette player and air conditioning could be deleted, both for credit.