[3] The Neon nameplate first appeared as a environmentally-friendly concept car in 1991 at the Frankfurt Motor Show under the Dodge brand.

[5][6] 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 100 hp (75 kW) supplied by Mercury Marine.

[8] 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".

[9] The Dodge Neon concept car earned a gold IDEA91 award by the Industrial Designers Society of America.

[10][11] The first generation Neon was introduced at the 1993 Frankfurt Motor Show[13][14][15] and went on sale in January 1994 for the 1995 model year.

At the Neon's release, then president of Chrysler Corporation Bob Lutz said, "There's an old saying in Detroit: 'Good, fast, or cheap.

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.

It was fitted with the 131 bhp (98 kW) SOHC engine, North American R/T specification suspension (slightly lower, 3.5 cm (1.4 in) rear, 2.7 cm (1.1 in) front), rear spoiler, unique alloy wheels, standard leather interior, dual stainless steel exhaust, a six-CD changer, and a shorter 5-speed manual gearbox.

Offered only with a 5-speed DOHC configuration, the R/T featured many of the ACR's mechanical upgrades including the numerically higher ratio 3.94 5-speed manual transmission, with the .81 5th gear and 130 mph speed limit.

The R/T, however, was intended for the street, with more comfort and convenience features standard or available, and specialized parts like the adjustable dampers removed, although the dampers, as well as the front coil springs found on R/T models, were slightly stiffer, offering an advantage over standard model Neons.

R/Ts featured optional stripes over the top of the car, silver "R/T" badging on the front door panels and the right side of the trunk deck lid, and a functional wing.

The R/T consisted of a new 150 hp (110 kW) SOHC Magnum 2.0 L Engine, 16 in (41 cm) wheels, spoiler, dual chrome exhaust tips, quicker steering box, and stiffer springs.

The Neon was offered with a sport package for the 2001 model year only commemorating Dodge's return to the NASCAR scene, called the Motorsports Edition.

It was available on SE, ES, and R/T and on SE/ES models, consisted of an R/T wing, R/T 16 in (41 cm) wheels, R/T springs, Goodyear NASCAR raised yellow-lettering tires, 'Dodge Motorsports' side decals, white instrument cluster, and R/T steering box.

SE and ES cars were an R/T visually except for the lack of dual exhaust, R/T lower moldings, fog lamps, and R/T exclusive front bumper.

[24] Originally, the second-generation Neon featured a five-speed manual transmission using the former ACR gear ratios to improve acceleration.

However, this hurt gas mileage and made the car noisier on the highway, and eventually, the original gear ratios were restored.

[25] The Neon was replaced in the spring of 2006 with the 2007 Dodge Caliber, which is based on the shared Chrysler/Mitsubishi Motors GS platform.

The first generation Neon earned a "Poor" rating in an offset frontal Crash test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

By comparison, the Chevrolet Cavalier performed worse in the small car category in 2005, the Neon's final year.

Other small cars on the list included the Acura RSX (202), Kia Spectra hatchback (191), and the Mitsubishi Eclipse (169).

[3] Consistent with FCA's plans to dedicate U.S. production to Jeep and Ram vehicles while using the North American Free Trade Agreement to make Chrysler and Dodge passenger cars in Canada and Mexico, the Neon was planned to be built and imported from Turkey.

[39] Although marketed in Turkey, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, only Mexico received the Dodge Neon variant.

[39] Plans to market the third-generation Neon vehicle north of Mexico were dropped following General Motors and Ford each paring down their own passenger car lineups in the U.S., including ending sales of potential compact-sized rivals Chevrolet Cruze and Ford Focus in the US and Canada.