Most "production numbers" listed will be "sales numbers" based. On this site the numbers are VIN-based, so if the car was assigned a VIN it is counted, including pre‑production, post‑production, demo and test mules.
1999 was the last year for the first‑generation (1GN) Neon R/T, with Belvidere‑built cars limited to late‑1998 and very early‑1999 production as that plant transitioned to 2GN Neons. The remaining 1999 R/T coupes and sedans were produced at the Toluca, Mexico plant, making Toluca‑built 1999 R/Ts notable: 902 R/Ts in total, with only 34 of those being sedans.
As before, the R/T acted as a street‑friendly alternative to the more extreme, competition‑focused ACR, offering a balance of daily comfort and sport performance in both coupe and sedan form. The 1999 R/T was only produced in four colors: PB3 Intense Blue, PR4 Flame Red, PW7 Bright White and PX8 Black.
Power came from a 2.0L DOHC 16‑valve four‑cylinder engine producing 150 hp and 133 lb‑ft of torque in both coupe and sedan applications. Every 1999 R/T used a performance‑driven close‑ratio 5‑speed manual transmission; no automatic option was offered.
The appearance package followed the classic R/T pattern: Flame Red with black stripes, Black with silver stripes, Intense Blue with white stripes, or Bright White with blue stripes, with “R/T” badging matching the stripe color. All 1999 R/Ts also included the distinctive “surfboard” style rear spoiler, visually separating them from standard Neons.
Underneath, the R/T featured the stiffer SDE (Sport) suspension, a quicker steering ratio and four‑wheel disc brakes, a clear step up from base models in both handling and stopping power. This setup gave the 1999 R/T sharp responses and strong braking while staying more livable than the full ACR competition suspension.
Inside, 1999 R/Ts received sport bucket seats with “Tango” (worm tracks) fabric – W7AZ Red Tango seats with Dark Agate interior or M7AZ Blue Tango seats with Dark Agate interior – plus a leather‑wrapped steering wheel and leather shift knob. These interior touches reinforced the R/T’s role as a driver‑focused, performance‑oriented Neon trim.
While well equipped from the factory, the R/T could be ordered without additional comfort and convenience options including air conditioning, CD player, cruise control, sunroof, power windows, power mirrors and ABS. Buyers could also delete the stripes when ordering to create a more subtle, less noticeable R/T that still retained all of the performance hardware.
For earlier years of the first‑generation program, visit the 1995–1999 Neon ACR & R/T production index for full totals by year, body style and model.
Own one of the 99 R/T's, especially from Toluca, Mexico? Register your car in the Neon Registry to help document these rare 1GN R/T's.