1.1 Neon Base Sedan/Coupe

The original Base Neon was a stripped down economy car, with an asking price under $10,000.  It offered 2-litre performance and a roomy interior for not much more than a Hyundai.  The true Base car came with a manual transmission, SOHC, manual steering, no air conditioning, 13-inch wheels, and the SDA suspension (no swaybars).  However, most cars were ordered with either A/C or automatic transmission, either of which included an upgrade to the SDC suspension.  Rex, of course, did not order these options.

The Base interior had flat seats with little side support and no separate headrests. The interior was finished in plain tweed upholstery, and there was minimal sound insulation (less tar sheet; no trunk liner) .  Many options, such as fold-down rear seats, were not available.  Because of this, the Base car was the lightest Neon model, and so was used as the starting point for the racing-oriented ACR.

The Base Neon was only available as a Sedan until the 1996 m/y, when the Base Coupe joined the lineup.  The Base model (Sedan and Coupe) was discontinued for the 1998 m/y.  This is in keeping with the long-standing auto industry tradition of bringing in a new model at the top of the line (the R/T), and dropping cars from the bottom of the line.
 

Neon Base Sedan Information

Year	1994 (95 m/y)	1995	1996	1997	1998/9
Engine	SOHC	SOHC	SOHC	SOHC	n/a
Transmission	ATX or MTX	ATX or MTX	ATX or MTX	ATX or MTX	n/a
Suspension	SDA or SDC	SDC	SDC	SDC	n/a
Brakes	BRC or BRH	BRC or BRH	BRA or BRF	BRA or BRF	n/a
Seat Type	Base	Base	Base	Base	n/a
Tachometer	Optional	Optional	Optional	Optional	n/a
Hood	Flat	Flat	Flat	Flat	n/a
Fascia	Molded grey	Molded grey	Molded color	Molded color	n/a
Wheels	13" 4-lug	13" 5-lug	14" 5-lug	14" 5-lug	n/a

Neon Base Coupe Information

Year	1994 (95 m/y)	1995	1996	1997	1998/9
Engine	n/a	n/a	SOHC	SOHC	n/a
Transmission	n/a	n/a	ATX or MTX	ATX or MTX	n/a
Suspension	n/a	n/a	SDC	SDC	n/a
Brakes	n/a	n/a	BRA or BRF	BRA or BRF	n/a
Seat Type	n/a	n/a	Base	Base	n/a
Tachometer	n/a	n/a	Optional	Optional	n/a
Hood	n/a	n/a	Flat	Flat	n/a
Fascia	n/a	n/a	Molded color	Molded color	n/a
Wheels	n/a	n/a	14" 5-lug	14" 5-lug	n/a

1.2 Neon Highline Sedan/Coupe

The Highline is the mainstream Neon, and the rollout splash featured a white-on-white Highline Sedan, with 14-inch "bubble" wheelcovers and a roof rack, all of which alluded to the Neon concept vehicle that had attracted attention a few years previously.  Air conditioning was standard, and other comfort options were available such as cruise control.  13-inch wheels were standard, but most cars came with the 14-inch upgrade and the previously mentioned bubble wheelcovers.  All Highlines have the SDC (Touring) suspension, with front swaybar only.

The Highline interior features more contoured seats than the Base model, with plusher upholstery and the split fold-down rear seat. Additional sound-deadening insulation was included.  The 1995 ACR Coupe was built on the Highline, as are all 1998-99 m/y ACRs.

The Highline was originally available only as a Sedan, which began production in January of 1994.  The Highline Coupe came online as a 1995 model, with production starting around August of 1994.

For the 1998 and 1999 m/ys, an additional model appeared on Plymouth lots, called the Neon "Style".  A variation on the Highline, and essentially the same as the 1996-variety Expresso, the Style offered many of the popular options in one package.  The Style was introduced to give Plymouth dealers an exclusive package to offset the Dodge-only R/T.
 

Neon Highline Sedan Information

Year	1994 (95 m/y)	1995	1996	1997	1998/9
Engine	SOHC	SOHC	SOHC	SOHC	SOHC or DOHC
Transmission	ATX or MTX	ATX or MTX	ATX or MTX	ATX or MTX	ATX or MTX
Suspension	SDC	SDC	SDC	SDC	SDC
Brakes	BRC or BRH	BRJ or BRA	BRA or BRF	BRA or BRF	BRA or BRF
Seat Type	Highline	Highline	Highline	Highline	Highline
Tachometer	Optional	Optional	Optional	Optional	Optional
Hood	Flat	Flat	Flat	Flat	Flat or bulge
Fascia	Molded grey or painted	Molded color or painted	Molded color or painted	Molded color	Molded color
Wheels	13" 4-lug, 14" 4-lug	13" 5-lug, 14" 5-lug	14" 5-lug	14" 5-lug	14" 5-lug

Neon Highline Coupe Information

Year	1994 (95 m/y)	1995	1996	1997	1998/9
Engine	n/a	SOHC	SOHC	SOHC	SOHC or DOHC
Transmission	n/a	ATX or MTX	ATX or MTX	ATX or MTX	ATX or MTX
Suspension	n/a	SDC	SDC	SDC	SDC
Brakes	n/a	BRJ or BRA	BRA or BRF	BRA or BRF	BRA or BRF
Seat Type	n/a	Highline	Highline	Highline	Highline
Tachometer	n/a	Optional	Optional	Optional	Optional
Hood	n/a	Flat	Flat	Flat	Flat or bulge
Fascia	n/a	Molded color or painted	Molded color or painted	Molded color	Molded color
Wheels	n/a	13" 5-lug, 14" 5-lug	14" 5-lug	14" 5-lug	14" 5-lug

1.3 Neon Sport and Expresso Sedan/Coupe

The Neon Sport debuted as the top-of-the line model.  Most of the features that were optional on other cars were standard for the Sport, such as antilock brakes and 14-inch wheels.  Very early Sports had steel wheels; alloys became standard when the Sport Coupe appeared in late 1994.  Other identifying factors are the special fascia with fog lights; when the DOHC appeared, all Sports received the "power bulge" hood, even for SOHCs.

The Sport line has undergone more changes than any other.  Like all Neons, it was originally available only as the SOHC-powered Sedan.  This car had the same SDC (Touring) suspension as the Highline.  The Sport Coupe, which appeared at the end of 1994, was a somewhat different animal.  While keeping all of the standard Sport features, it added standard DOHC (which could be deleted for credit) and performance ratio gearing for manual transmission cars.  It also featured the SDE (Sport) suspension, with stiffer struts (not quite the ACR competition-stiff units), front and rear swaybars, and the slightly quicker steering ratio found on the ACR.

In the 1996 m/y, Chrysler introduced the Expresso for both Dodge and Plymouth, which was an option package based on the Highline car.  It had most of the comfort and appearance items of the Sport, though alloy wheels were no longer standard (all '96 Expressos had white bubble wheelcovers or white alloys, regardless of body color), and Coupes used the SDC suspension.  Antilock brakes were optional rather than standard.  The seats were the Sport level, with a special Tango upholstery, also known as "confetti".

For 1997 and up Neons, the Sport was made into a similar option package, rather than an individual model.  Dodge cars are called Sport, Plymouth uses the Expresso name.  Both are similar to the '96 Expresso, though the newer style alloy wheels are optional and are silver on non-white cars.  This package relates to the Highline car the way the R/T relates to the ACR.
 

Neon Sport/Expresso Sedan Information

Year	1994 (95 m/y)	1995	1996	1996 Expresso	1997	1998/9
Engine	SOHC	SOHC	SOHC	SOHC	SOHC or DOHC	DOHC
Transmission	ATX or MTX	ATX or MTX	ATX or MTX	ATX or MTX	ATX, MTX or Perf. MTX	ATX or Perf. MTX
Suspension	SDC	SDC	SDC	SDC	SDC	SDC
Brakes	BRC or BRH	BRF	BRA or BRF	BRA or BRF	BRA or BRF	BRA or BRF
Seat Type	Highline	Sport	Sport	Sport Flash	Sport	Sport
Tachometer	Standard	Standard	Standard	Standard	Optional	Standard
Hood	Flat	Bulge	Bulge	Bulge	Bulge	Bulge
Fascia	Painted, with fog lights	Painted, with fog lights	Painted, with fog lights	Molded color	Painted, with fog lights	Painted, with fog lights
Wheels	14" 4-lug, steel	14" 5-lug, alloy I	14" 5-lug, alloy I	14" 5-lug, steel	14" 5-lug, steel or  alloy II	14" 5-lug, steel or  alloy II

Neon Sport/Expresso Coupe Information

Year	1994 (95 m/y)	1995	1996	1996 Expresso	1997	1998/9
Engine	n/a	DOHC or SOHC	DOHC or SOHC	SOHC	DOHC or SOHC	DOHC
Transmission	n/a	ATX, MTX or Perf. MTX	ATX, MTX or Perf. MTX	ATX or MTX	ATX, MTX or Perf. MTX	ATX or Perf. MTX
Suspension	n/a	SDE	SDE	SDC	SDC	SDC
Brakes	n/a	BRF	BRA or BRF	BRA or BRF	BRA or BRF	BRA or BRF
Seat Type	n/a	Sport	Sport	Sport Flash	Sport	Sport
Tachometer	n/a	Standard	Standard	Standard	Standard	Standard
Hood	n/a	Bulge	Bulge	Bulge	Bulge	Bulge
Fascia	n/a	Painted, with fog lights	Painted, with fog lights	Molded color	Painted, with fog lights	Painted, with fog lights
Wheels	n/a	14" 5-lug, alloy I	14" 5-lug, alloy I	14" 5-lug, steel	14" 5-lug, steel or alloy II	14" 5-lug, steel or  alloy II

1.4 Neon R/T Sedan/Coupe

The Neon R/T, with its distinctive 'skunk stripes', was introduced to Enthusiasts at the Neon97 get-together in July of 1997.  That fall it appeared at dealers as a '98 model.  The R/T designation is a Mopar tradition, indicating a performance model of a given car, often introduced toward the end of the design run.  This car is similar to the ACR in many ways, but includes the comfort options available in the Sport package.  Luxury items include standard leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter, as well as optional power windows, locks, and mirrors.

Unlike the original Sport, both R/T Sedans and Coupes use the SDE (Sport) suspension, which was revived for this application.  It is the stiffest, most aggressive handling package short of the ACR's competition tuning.  Also, R/Ts are only available with the DOHC/performance manual transmission drivetrain.  Antilock brakes are optional.

The interior features the Sport-type seats with improved side bolsters and special Tango fabric, also known as "worm tracks".  Originally, this was black with multicolored accents.  Later in the model history, the accents became color-matched to the exterior of the car.  R/Ts are available in Flame Red with silver stripes, Black with silver stripes, Intense Blue with silver stripes, and Bright White with blue stripes.  Stripes can be deleted as an option; however, there is no credit issued against the car's price (thanks for that correction, Brent).

On an interesting note, the Neon Challenge celebrity ACRs have been repainted to match R/T appearance in lieu of their original yellow/black/red and yellow/black/blue color schemes.
 

Neon R/T Sedan/Coupe Information

Year	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999
Engine	n/a	n/a	n/a	DOHC	DOHC
Transmission	n/a	n/a	n/a	Performance MTX	Performance MTX
Suspension	n/a	n/a	n/a	SDE	SDE
Brakes	n/a	n/a	n/a	BRD or BRF	BRD or BRF
Seat Type	n/a	n/a	n/a	Sport Tango	Sport Tango
Tachometer	n/a	n/a	n/a	Standard	Standard
Hood	n/a	n/a	n/a	Bulge	Bulge
Fascia	n/a	n/a	n/a	Painted, with fog lights	Painted, with fog lights
Wheels	n/a	n/a	n/a	14" 5-lug, R/T alloy, polished or silver	14" 5-lug, R/T alloy, polished or silver

1.5 Neon ACR Sedan/Coupe

When the Neon was introduced in 1994, Chrysler decided for some fortunate reason to make a splash in SCCA racing and autocross.  The Neon ACR was developed as a race-ready (just add rollcage), low cost machine, using as few special parts as possible.   So that the first production run would wind up on the track, not the street, buyers were required to hold an SCCA membership.  This original '1994-1/2' batch consisted of 182 SOHC-powered ACR sedans.  Chrysler also sweetened the pot with substantial contingency money for ACR racers.

The original ACR was built on the Base Sedan, and the only factory option was the rear defroster.  A/C and radio were not available, nor were the rest of the luxury or convenience options.  In keeping with its mission, the ACR has never been available with an automatic transmission or antilock brakes.  After the initial production run, the ACR package (also known as the Competition Group) joined the regular lineup, so A/C and radio became options.  Non-SCCA folks were allowed to join the fun, as well.

ACRs have several distinguishing features.  Foremost is the SDK (Competition) suspension with front and rear swaybars and very stiff struts, to bring handling up to racetrack strength.  The steering ratio is quicker than standard, and brakes are four-wheel disc.  ACR hubs are 10mm thick (compared to the standard 8mm) to meet road racing stresses.  The manual transmission has both a lower final drive ratio and a lower fifth gear for better acceleration.  All ACRs get the oversized radiator from the air conditioned car.  All ACR Sedans have the SOHC engine; all Coupes get the DOHC.  These engine choices have never varied throughout the life of the ACR, to avoid reclassification for SCCA road racing use.

Most ACRs were built on the Base chassis, to take advantage of the weight savings of minimal insulation or luxury options.  The ACR Coupe started production in the '95 m/y using the Highline chassis (see the Base model history), then changed to the Base Coupe for '96 and '97 m/ys.  All '98 and the few '99 m/y ACRs (Sedan and Coupe) use the Highline chassis, since the Base car was discontinued.  Outside, the ACR has the Sport front fascia with empty foglight holes.  Side moldings were not available from the factory, but sometimes added at the dealer.  The interior was originally Base or Highline style (depending on the chassis);  in the '96 m/y, the ANC option added a leather-wrapped shifter and steering wheel, as well as the Sport seats (with better lateral support) and Flash upholstery.  ANC is now the standard interior since the Base car was discontinued in the '98 m/y.

The ACR designation has come to be known as "American Club Racing".  However, it was originally just the sales code and has no actual significance.  The same is true of the ANC interior, which is popularly held to mean "American National Champion".
 

Neon ACR Sedan Information

Year	1994 (95 m/y,  Base)	1995  (Base)	1996  (Base)	1997  (Base)	1998/9 (Highline)
Engine	SOHC	SOHC	SOHC	SOHC	SOHC
Transmission	Perf. MTX	Perf. MTX	Perf. MTX	Perf. MTX	Perf. MTX
Suspension	SDK	SDK	SDK	SDK	SDK
Brakes	BRD	BRD	BRD	BRD	BRD
Seat Type	Base	Base	Base or ANC	Base or ANC	ANC
Tachometer	Standard	Standard	Standard	Standard	Standard
Hood	Flat	Flat	Flat	Flat	Flat
Fascia	Painted, w/ light holes	Painted, w/ light holes	Painted, w/ light holes	Painted, w/ light holes	Painted, w/ light holes
Wheels	14" 5-lug, alloy I	14" 5-lug, alloy I	14" 5-lug, alloy I	14" 5-lug, alloy II	14" 5-lug,  alloy II

Neon ACR Coupe Information

Year	1994 (95 m/y)	1995 (Highline)	1996  (Base)	1997  (Base)	1998/9 (Highline)
Engine	n/a	DOHC	DOHC	DOHC	DOHC
Transmission	n/a	Perf. MTX	Perf. MTX	Perf. MTX	Perf. MTX
Suspension	n/a	SDK	SDK	SDK	SDK
Brakes	n/a	BRD	BRD	BRD	BRD
Seat Type	n/a	Highline	Base or ANC	Base or ANC	ANC
Tachometer	n/a	Standard	Standard	Standard	Standard
Hood	n/a	Bulge	Bulge	Bulge	Bulge
Fascia	n/a	Painted, w/ light holes	Painted, w/ light holes	Painted, w/ light holes	Painted, w/ light holes
Wheels	n/a	14" 5-lug, alloy I	14" 5-lug, alloy I	14" 5-lug, alloy II	14" 5-lug,  alloy II

1.6 Neon Model Questions and Answers

1.6.1    Q: Which model Neon is better?

A:    All of them.

A:    Each Neon has strengths and weaknesses; it depends on your plans for the car.  A normal commuter will be happy with any Neon, due to its good standard equipment level, strong acceleration, and nimble handling.  Racers and autocrossers go for the ACR, often stripped of options.  The rest of us fall somewhere in between.  A few points for each current model:

Highline:
PRO:    good equipment level and performance for the price
CON:    least performance-oriented

Sport/Expresso:
PRO:    even more standard comforts than Highline car, bonus appearance items
CON:    slightly heavier than Highline

R/T:
PRO:    better handling package than Highline or newer Sport, better ride and comfort options than ACR, no automatic available
CON:   heavier than ACR, no automatic available

ACR:
PRO:    best handling package, best acceleration, no automatic available
CON:   stiffest ride, limited options, no automatic available

A:    Visually, ACRs are most easily identified by the front fascia, which has foglight holes but no fog lights.  Also, '95-'96 m/y front and rear fascias have the grey stripe of the Sport, though the ACR does not come from the factory with side moldings.  All ACRs have the factory alloy wheels (silver, or white for white cars).  Due to its limited options, the ACR can be mechanically identified using the engine, transmission, and brake system information above.  If it is not as shown on the table, it is not an ACR.

A:    No.  This is a persistent myth.  If you look, you will see that the wheelwell liner prevents any air from getting through the front fascia to the brakes.  It can be done, but requires cutting and plumbing.  Basically, the front fascia was chosen to provide an identifiable look using an off-the-shelf part.

A:    All early-build '95 m/y Neons had the textured, molded black door handles.  Beginning with the debut of the Sport Coupe in August '95, all Sports received the painted, color-matched handles.  The  Base (thus ACR) and Highline cars kept the molded black door handles.  This lineup continued throughout the '96 m/y.

The painted door handles were discontinued for the '97 m/y; all Neons received the molded black handles.

The Dodge R/T and the Plymouth Style models brought the painted handles back for the '98 and '99 m/ys; ACRs began receiving color-matched handles in the late fall of 1997.  Consequently the door handle color for ACRs of this period varies by build date.  All other Neons through the '99 m/y have black textured door handles.

A:    The 1995 m/y Base car had molded, textured grey front and rear fascias (the "buggy bumpers"), which were originally shown on the Neon concept car.  There are actually two types of grey bumpers; the original darker grey was replaced by a smoother, lighter grey as a running change during the first model year.

Highlines and Sports (and thus ACRs) got painted units.  In mid-1995, Highlines began to receive fascias molded in other colors, starting with black, white, and red.  For the 1996 m/y, molded, textured fascias came in the Base colors of black, white, red, magenta, and lapis blue.  Highlines also received these molded fascias;  Highlines of other colors received smooth, painted fascias.

'95 and '96 m/y Sports and ACRs can be identified by painted fascias with a metallic grey accent strip on front and rear.  These were deleted in 1997 and newer cars in favor of one-color painted fascias.

A:    The Base Neon does not have standard side moldings; metallic grey was the single color choice for the factory-installed optional pieces.

All Highlines were built with painted, color matched side moldings standard.

1995 and 1996 m/y Sports received metallic grey side moldings to coordinate with the fascia accent strips.  The metallic grey was discontinued for 1997 and newer Sports in favor of painted, color matched units.  This occurred when the Sport /Expresso package was optioned onto the Highline model.

No ACR shipped from the factory with side moldings; however, these were sometimes added by the dealer or owner.

A:    The information listed above is for standard or optional engine configurations.  However, the Plymouth Breeze was introduced in the 1996 m/y, and also uses the SOHC engine.  The SOHC's lower-RPM torque peak is important for an automatic transmission, especially in a heavier car like the Breeze.  In response to the shortfall, many Neons slated to receive the SOHC got a free "upgrade" to the DOHC engine.  This began late in the '96 m/y and reached its peak in the '97 m/y.

Eventually, the marketing department got smart and changed the literature to indicate the DOHC as standard for all Sports and Expressos.  The R/T debuted with standard DOHC for both Coupe and Sedan.

The ACR Sedan has remained SOHC in order to maintain the SCCA classifications for Club Racing and autocross.

A:    Road/Track.  Not "Road & Track", not "Rally/Time", not "Race/Track", or any of the other Mopar urban myths.

A:    The R/T stripes are 7-1/2 inches wide, and are spaced 3-1/2 inches apart.  The stripes begin at the grille insert, and extend over hood, roof, and trunk deck, terminating above the horizontal band at the base of the decklid (where the floating corners are slightly radiused).  They pass under the car's standard spoiler, which is not striped.

The factory pieces are made of ScotchCal vinyl, which is available at most graphics and sign shops.  The OEM kit can be purchased at the dealer parts counter; however, it is substantially more expensive there.  Many R/T owners complete the "unfinished" stripes by extending them down over the bumpers using matching material.

Vinyl "skunk" stripes are realtively inexpensive and easy to install.  Pre-cut materials for a complete front-to-rear installation can be bought for less than $75, depending on width.  Each stripe needs to be about 16 feet long, no single piece less than four feet long to cover each major panel.  Installation will take two amateurs approximately 6 hours to complete.
 

A:    The Plymouth Style was a special model, aimed to be more comfort-oriented than Dodge's R/T.  All of the R/T's power options - windows, locks, and mirrors - were standard on the Style.  Leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter were included as well.  While R/Ts got the DOHC, the Style was only available with the SOHC.  Although alloy wheels were not available, the Style came in several colors not found on other Neons:

Exterior (Interior)
Bright Platinum Metallic     (Agate) [available on other models]
Forest Green Pearl Coat      (Agate, Camel) [available on other models]
Candy Apple Red Metallic Tint     (Agate, Camel)
Champagne Pearl Coat     (Agate, Camel)
Deep Slate Pearl Coat     (Agate, Camel)
Deep Cranberry Pearl Coat     (Agate, Camel)

(Additional Style information courtesy of Keith Millham.)