One of the issues I really like about this occupation is that you’re all the time studying or discovering one thing new. You assume you recognize every thing a few sure mannequin or firm after which growth, one thing new comes alongside. This occurred to me lately after I found one thing each attention-grabbing and weirdly off-putting in regards to the Dodge Neon.
Now everyone knows the Neon was Chrysler’s small automobile, bought throughout two generations for simply over a decade earlier than it went out of manufacturing in 2005. Here within the U.S., it was bought beneath each the Dodge and Plymouth manufacturers. But apparently, in additional than 17 nations throughout three continents (South America, Australia and Europe) the Neon was bought as a Chrysler.
While it was Chrysler in every of those markets, it was geared up in a different way relying on the place it was provided. In Australia, it solely obtained two trim ranges — SE and LX; Japan solely ever obtained the Neon sedan and it was the primary small automobile bought by Chrysler within the nation. Meanwhile, Europe bought a particular version CS trim that got here with a bunch of luxurious options, silver paint and the Neon R/T’s suspension.
What’s extra attention-grabbing is how the styling differs from the Neon we all know over right here, particularly on second-generation fashions. First-gen Chrysler Neons had been equivalent to our Neon, save for the Chrysler medallion badge and amber rear flip sign lights. Second-gen Chrysler Neons had a barely completely different entrance fascia and rear finish in contrast with ours.
U.S. Neons had a slotted grille opening with a skinny chrome bar that was flanked by amber flip indicators and a three-slot decrease grille.
Chrysler Neons had, dare I say, a extra mature(?) entrance aesthetic. The U-like design made the entrance grille a bit smaller, however nonetheless massive sufficient to carry Chrysler’s winged badge. Meanwhile, this additionally separated the flip sign lamps from the interior grille.
Around the again, all Chrysler Neons wore amber rear flip indicators set into the highest of back lights and bumper reflectors, which truthfully seemed misplaced. Things modified much more when Dodge refreshed the Neon to offer it its signature crosshair grille, and much more so when the Neon obtained a heavy refresh in the direction of the tip of its run.
However, by the early to mid 2000s, the Chrysler Neon was slowly fading away in several markets. By 2002 it was discontinued in Australia and changed by the PT Cruiser in Japan. In Canada, it was absorbed into the Dodge lineup and weirdly renamed the Dodge SX 2.0.
I do know there have been different fashions that Chrysler did this identical factor with, take the Chrysler Stratus as one other instance. But for some motive, it’s simply not as unusual as seeing a Neon with a Chrysler badge. It’s bizarre. Like, make my pores and skin itch whereas I’m observing it bizarre for some motive.
The Chrysler Neon’s existence makes me surprise how cool one thing like a Chrysler-badged Challenger would have been in Europe had the model nonetheless been the face of the corporate.
Source: jalopnik.com