This is the last Plymouth ever made, and it could be yours | Hagerty Media

[Hagerty]

Plymouth, the value-priced brand in the Chrysler family tree since 1928, died an unceremonious death back in 2001. That's because Chrysler (well, DaimlerChrysler in those days) offered no final farewell worthy of the brand's domineering Superbirds, jaw-dropping Prowlers, or even the unexpected Q-ship that was the V-6-powered Sundance Duster.
https://www.hagerty.com/media/news/this-is-the-last-plymouth-ever-made-and-it-could-be-yours/

[TG]

If you're connected with the company, I can see buying the last Plymouth even if it's a boring one. Anyone else... different story. I can see that car with a 1 foot wing in the back and offset tires in about 3 years

[okfoz]

Want to know where they got the name "Neon"?
When you drive it, you have a neon the door, a neon the dash,
if you have back seat passengers, they have their neon the back of the seat, a neon the window a neon just about everything.

It is a joke, a friend of mine who was 6'4" 250lbs, used to commute with someone and when they drove the neon that is how he felt.

[Hagerty Fan]

Now that is funny!

[Reinhold_Weege]

Well your friend was 95+% in terms of physical size and a threat to the earth's ecological balance. Hopefully he did not reproduce. No one designs cars, especially economy cars, around a 95th percentile human. 

[sclin10]

Another tree-hugger.

[WJD]

I had a '99 neon SRT (or just SRT, it didn't say 'neon' anywhere on the car), and loved it. Plenty of power, handled great, great mileage and a blast to drive.
Then I got T-boned by a semi that blew a stop. Threw me 100' down the road—broke off both front wheels. Once the car slid to a stop, I opened the door and stepped out without a scratch. I was fine, but the car was totaled. I went out and bought another '99 SRT with the insurance money. Same color, same options, just a 2-door vs. the previous 4-door.
I knew the car could take a punch.

[TG]

My mother had a neon which I discovered had the water pump under the timing cover driven off the timing belt after the pump shaft snapped and chucked the belt. I validated that it was an interference engine and told her it was a gamble to put a belt and water pump on it... and sure enough the thing ran for several years after that

[Dave404]

Not much of a car to drive by today's standards I think but certainly a well preserved piece of history. I hope the new owner keeps it that way.

[Rider79]

As the owner of 4 odd-ball-variety Plymouths over the years, two of which I still have (and I wish I still had my aqua 1992 V6 Duster two-door - what a fun little car!), this seems kinda cool. Too bad it is such a bland colour, and not bright red or maybe teal. Still, the five-speed and sunroof add some interest. I hope it brings lotsa bucks, so maybe - MAYBE - the new owner will keep it stock and low-miles.

[mfp4073]

Awesome! Small cars are quickly becoming sought after and the prices are showing it. I hope that this segment can make a comeback. Although, seems impossible with the worship of all vehicles oversized and impractical. The new Hummer comes to mind. At a show two years ago a woman, who owned a Fiat, told me that men who have big trucks have shortcomings elsewhere. I wonder if this applies to cars too? Never the less, any small car articles are welcome and appreciated!

[Tommm]

About 15 years ago Mr. Davis put his wife's 3 series convertible on eBay. The Plymouth was in the background of the pictures. Mr. Davis answered my questions about the convertible, and the "car in the background." After a little internet sleuthing on the Plymouth I knew I could bid without worrying about what I would find if I won the auction. I was outbid. Had it been a manual, I would not have been outbid!

[RoadDog]

I just found an old flip-phone of mine from back in the 90's. It looks brand new. I wonder how much that would go for at auction......

[SJ]

The bean counters win again, what an ignoble end for such an iconic brand. They could have made a special Viper to end it, at the very least badge a Prowler to Plymouth one last time(it started out as a Plymouth anyway). I wonder if having Daimler-Benz as the owner had anything to do with it, hasn't really been Chrysler as I have known it for many many years.

[4wheel2wheel]

I was glad to read this piece. Given that more often there are more stories posted by people with nothing nice to say about the NEON.
The fact that a NEON just happened to be the last vehicle built by Plymouth notwithstanding, Mr. Davis probably would have grabbed it no matter what model it was. His position with Daimler Chrysler afforded him that luxury.
That said, I applaud Mr. Davis's forethought. I own a 1997 Plymouth NEON Expresso, 4 door, Emerald Green Pearl that I bought new and with 230K miles on the clock. it looks and drives like the day I first drove it home.
At the time I ordered the car I added the DOHC engine, power bulge hood, trunk wing, alloy road wheels, premium sound system, interior light group.
The window sticker shows built by Chrysler Corporation not Daimler Chrysler because D/C took over in 1998.
As mentioned in the piece, being a low priced car, most were bought, beat into the ground and junked. Seeing any NEON on the road today is a rare event. Even rarer is an SRT4. I thought about trying to buy one some years back, used of course. Unfortunately every one I looked at had been so heavily modified, royally abused and butchered it simply wasn't worth the price. The rest usually wound up a twisted, smoldering wreck on the side of the road.
It would be nice if whoever buys this car drives it and enjoys what a great handling car it is as much as I do mine after 24 years on the road with no regrets whatsoever.

[eighthtry]

I am alive today only because I never owned one of these cars. I would have slit my wrists. Or my throat. I can't imagine what this car has to offer a Neon enthusiast? Wait, really? A Neon enthusiast?

Of course it is each to his own. I am sure many people think the same thing about my Olds Cutlass Salon 455, that probably had 190hp on a good day. It is rare, since they only built a million of them. However, 950,000 succumbed to cancer and have been crushed. And those of us who bought one have one foot on a banana peel and the other in the grave, as the old saying goes.

[mhealy1]

I’m glad to see the posts about high-mileage Neons as it confirms my conclusion that my ‘98 Sport 2 door was a “Monday morning” car. The 2.0 liter DOHC pulled hard and got good mileage but spun a rod bearing at 68000 miles. The 5 speed started grinding on the 2-3 up shift at around 35000 miles and was replaced at the same time as the first motor. The head gasket on the second engine started seeping after 30000 miles, about the same time the 3rd gear synchro wore out on the second transmission. The extended warranty ended at 100000 miles, as did my ownership of the car. Ironically, at that point I had not even replaced the brakes. In fact, everything but the engine and trans was factory original.
In spite of that, the only reason I didn’t end up with an SRT-4 was that my wife spotted the spoiler and figured out it wasn’t a commuter car.

[Gary_Bechtold]

Such a horrible car. I had one as a rental and it just shook and rattled. A good idea with poor execution. Not even the SRT-4 version to possibly entertain you. Hard pass.

[HHCO]

Neons were great cars,lasted well,great mileage and comfortable,my wife had a Honda Accord and I had worn neon for daily driver,her Honda had no horsepower, no room,more road noise and had more problems than my neon.my wife sold the Honda and took over my neon.

[scott1956]

I have visited with Mr Davis in Florida. Great fellow and a Corvette Guy as well.
Scott Sinclair
Bolton, Ontario, Canada

[scott1956]

Opps, I also have a Plymouth Superbird in Yellow

[TrentSteeves]

The auction still has a couple days to go https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2001-plymouth-neon/lol