Many a car collector’s eyes widen when the name Plymouth is mentioned. After all, the now-defunct auto company delivered its share of classics over the years, from its founding year of 1928 to the year it closed its doors in 2001.
The Plymouth-badged car that just appeared for sale on the Bring a Trailer website is anything but a classic, but it does have the distinction of being the last Plymouth to be built, in 2001.
The model? A Neon. Yes, a Neon, a car whose career was anything but glorious. That said, there are a few interesting things about the car, including the fact that it has so far been driven only 68 miles, or just over 100 kilometres.
Basically, this is a brand-new 2001 Neon.
According to Hagerty, which specializes in antique cars (value and insurance), the car was originally ordered by Darrell Davis, then senior vice president of parts and service at DaimlerChrysler, and delivered to the Midwest region of the United States. Today, the car resides in Florida.
The Neon LX version has a silver exterior colour, complemented by a black leather interior. As far as options go, there's faux wood trim, sunroof and in-dash CD player. What makes it even more interesting is that it comes with a 5-speed manual transmission. Under the hood is a 2.0L 4-cylinder engine.
Another interesting fact is that owner Darrell Davis saved every conceivable souvenir for the next owner. The buyer of this Neon will thus take delivery of the banner that was displayed on top of the car when it came off the assembly line, a radio antenna that was never installed, the original window sticker and other documents and miscellaneous items. The car is currently parked in a climate-controlled garage, but some corrosion is visible on the muffler in the photos provided to the Bring a Trailer site.
Recall that the Neon, after Plymouth's demise, actually continued its career with Dodge and Chrysler until 2006.
As of this writing, the online auction shows a bid of $12,750 for the model. The sale closes on May 10. It will be interesting to see what price the car will finally be sold for.
