We’ve seen some gen1 Neons here over the years, but since Mike Hayes posted this white one at the Cohort, it’s a fitting car to follow JP Cavanaugh’s superb deep dive into the history of the color white on cars.
The Neon’s story is familiar: Another Big Three small car unleashed with high expectations to beat back the Japanese. Unlike some of the others, the Neon initially looked like it might be a real contender. It was roomy, handled well, and fun to drive. But the key quality that the Japanese had been culturing for decades—quality—was just never there.
I remember reading a story that Honda was seriously worried about the coming Neon, based on the specs and other info they had prior to its final introduction. They bought one as soon as it came out and took it apart down to the last nut and bolt. That instantly removed any anxiety: Chrysler’s “Civic Killer” was just another cute American car built to a price and not a standard.
And that’s pretty much all there needs to be said about the Neon.
One of the best cars I had. Not perfect, but roomy, cool to drive, gas saver and with good looks. I didn’t need anymore at that time of my life.
That’s the colour I always associate with Neons.
I have several shots of a white Neon that was a high level model with the “monochrome” treatment that was hot for awhile. The car was older and was a victim of the paint delamination that was a problem for some colors in that time period. Nice to see one cully covered, without those rusty gray areas where the color has come off.
In Chrysler’s defense, the car was designed to be profitable – something that had eluded most other American cars in that class at that time.
My co-worker told me a story where he drove his Neon while overheating, due to fail head gasket, to the Toyota dealer to trade it in for a new car. He had the heat turned on in a hot summer day and all. He was sweating due to the heat and whether he would make it. His new car, a Camry.
Also interesting about the Honda story Paul. Having driven a Neon and various Hondas at the time. I would agree Honda had nothing to worry about.
“American car built to a price and not a standard” is the most correct, and sadly the most damning statement about the American automotive groups ever put to words.
If you name any American car manufacturer, do you ever think “quality” before you think “style” or “power”? We tend to gloss over the fact that the European early car companies had the old fashioned idea that a car is more like a house, and should be built to last one’s lifetime, and cost accordingly. The American version was that it is better to have a cheap car that the average man can afford, even if it doesn’t last long and requires replacement. Both ideas have their merits, one could debate it all day, but the American version of cheaper and more widely available won out.
If they built them properly they couldnt sell you another one next year, gotta keep that plant running. The Japanese just regulate and tax old cars off the road then their old bombs land here used and run another 5 years then fall apart.
You didnt think car companies started finance branches out of the goodness of their heart things like GMAC and built in obsolescence was all part of a well though out plan.
I think the Japanese do it well nowadays, balancing modernity of style with manufacturing quality. Europeans can do style, but quality often seems a bit of a gamble. We don’t get many American cars in my country, so I can’t comment on the quality versus style and power bit. And now we don’t build cars here, I have no home team to barrack for.
What I do not like is the sheer wastefulness of the ‘gotta keep that plant running’ attitude, as Bryce puts it. And the wastefulness of taxing old vehicles off the road when they’re perfectly usable – whether it’s the Japanese Shaken, ‘cash for clunkers’ or the infamous Takata airbag recall. Rather than artificially whip up demand, wouldn’t it be more responsible to dial back production to a sustainable level? Certainly better for the environment. And encourage young people into the repair trades.
Repair, don’t replace.
Another interesting Honda connection to the Neon: The front seat frames are almost identical to those used in the fifth generation Honda Civic. When Chrysler was working with its supplier to produce seats for the upcoming Neon, Chrysler balked at the cost. The supplier pointed out that the outgoing Honda Civic’s seats (which they produced) were very similar to the ones originally designed for the Neon, so Chrysler saved money that way.
First generation Neons that I used to see by the dozens are now very thin on the ground where I live in central Kentucky. The few remaining all look like they have re-entered the atmosphere one time too many. I never understood why the sedan replicated the worst feature of my ’79 Dodge St. Regis with the frameless door windows. One of my best friends drove a 2 door ’97 Neon Sport with the five speed manual which was a much nicer car than any of the sedans we looked at before she got the two door.
My dad who was a very faithful Mopar guy, passed on the Neon sedans when they came out while he didn’t often buy two door cars decided to soldier on with what he had already and ended up getting a second gen Neon which we thought was vastly improved over the original. My mom and dad drove two of them both 2003’s. They replaced Plymouth Acclaims.
Those frameless windows were a hallmark of Chrysler products for a long time for a simple reason: cost. They were just cheaper.
The Neon was Iacocca’s parting shot (it’s said he was responsible for the round headlights). Besides the frameless windows, a couple of other noteworthy cheap touches were the power window option which only applied to the front windows (at least the rears still rolled down) and the 3-speed automatic. By this time, all other small cars had moved onto a 4-speed automatic. OTOH, when Chrysler did finally get a 4-speed automatic, it was the trouble-prone Ultradrive, so maybe sticking with a 3-speed for the Neon was a blessing in disguise.
Then there was that head gasket thing. I’m not sure that was a problem from the beginning as the blame for that one is usually assigned to former GM exec Bob Eaton who replaced Iacocca. Iacocca would later admit it had been a mistake not to make Bob Lutz the CEO instead of Eaton who would ultimately engineer the failed Daimler merger.
The Neon was not the only compact car with a 3-speed c.1995-2000. The Corolla/Prism were available with 3-speed autos up until 2002, as were the Cavalier/Sunfire duo. To be perfectly fair, the higher-spec NUMMI & J-cars could be equipped with 4-speed autos, if one were so inclined.
Power windows – for the front windows, were a rare option on first generation Neons, but more common with the second generation.
Another thing I recall reading about those frameless doors was that because they were (before windows were added) half the size of traditional doors and therefore twice as many could be hung on racks for the assembly process, which reduced assembly costs by a teeny bit. There were lots of “teeny bit” reductions engineered into the production process, which cut a lot of cost out of the car.
I actually liked the frameless glass – I thought it improved the car’s looks and I am old enough that frameless glass was still something I considered normal (as in the GM Colonnade cars).
Surprisingly, no mention in the article nor in the comments so far regarding the well regarded R/T and ACR variants with the 150hp dohc engines that were so sought after by SCCA racers.
They may have been built to a price point but they certainly had the capacity to be a driver’s car. Anyone who chose the slushbox got what they deserved imho.
https://drivetribe.com/p/a-defense-of-the-dodge-neon-VR_A0Gq9Q9yPPZdIDHCxAQ?iid=AVoQn0uISYS46XqHMoH2zA
The Neon R/T and ACR variants harken back to the days of the original 1960 Valiant when NASCAR decided to create a very short-lived compact class, infamously remembered for the one (and only) televised race where the Valiants, quite literally, ran away from the Falcons and Corvairs for the entirety. It was excruciatingly boring and, after one more race, the series was cancelled.
I built a ’98 R/T sedan for racing at our local paved oval, they really are underappreciated cars from an enthusiast standpoint IMO. Back in the mid 90s, 132hp from the base powertrain and 150hp optional motor in a car the same weight as a Civic/Corolla was nothing to sneeze at. Not to mention the well sorted handling.
I had a friend who had one of these when new. It had power windows in the front and crank windows in the back–the only instance I’ve ever seen of this combo.
Such a combo was very common in European cars at one time.
However, on the last two cars I rented in Europa , all the doors had power windows.
It was a cute car that their girls all liked.
Hi!
Those were sold here but the last one I saw was on a flatdeck semi with about 50 other cars squashed and 0n their way to a new career as rebar there simply arent any left on the road in a country reknown for keeping cars too long.
I don’t typically photograph these, but saw this non-stock example recently
I only have experience driving these in a very used, possibly tired – horses flew the coup state. Several years ago I was a devastated driver for my friend and his friend, with whom I was mildly acquainted. Fully laden with roughly 1400 pounds worth of passenger, there was absolutely no getting up to freeway speed onto 494 in Minnesota. I don’t know that I’ve ever been quite so nervous trying to merge in my life.
At the time, it was used car central and I didn’t have any real opinion about the interior bits.