The few upgrades and refurbishments on this 1974 GMC Motorhome for sale on Hemmings.com don’t detract all that much from it: After all, the folks who collect and own these rigs look at them less as investments and more as practical, useable classics. So the cushier seats, new generator, and upgraded appliances including a microwave installed in this 26-footer all lend themselves to a more enjoyable road trip. From the seller’s description:

This particular model is 26 ft long and is extremely easy to drive. You can back this thing up and do a u turn in it just about anywhere. That’s right, I said a u turn. If you don’t know much about these, one of the reasons is that it is front wheel drive and has an unbelievable rake on the front wheels and for a motor home will turn on a dime. The awesome part about these is the power plant that is underneath. These were hot rods with 6 wheels. Under this 26ft sled sits and Oldsmobile Tornado 455. This motor was putting out plenty of power to get this baby and your family efficiently down the road. We have even seen you tube videos of these things doing major burn outs. Not done on this one, but to say that it can be done. This motor home really speaks for itself when you see all of the pics that we shot. It has been upgraded to very comfortable newer style motor home seat. The generator has been replaced with a water cooled Honda unit that only has about 83 hours on it. Also there has been a micro wave put in as well as a more modern Norcold refrigerator. There are plenty of upgrades, yet plenty of the same old charm. This is one of the nicest survivors with one repaint that you are going to find on the road today.

See more GMCs for sale on Hemmings.com.

Oh, and because you’re now dying to see that burnout video mentioned in the description:

* Reader Lindsay Wilson pointed us toward Holden New Zealand’s Facebook page this week to point out that Holden just finished the restoration of a 1969 Holden Monaro GTS and that it came out gorgeous.

* We’ve long marveled at Alden Jewell’s ability to collect vintage auto ephemera, and now he’s putting his collections to good use as the basis for articles on AldenJewell.com, including this one on sedan deliveries. Thanks to Geoff Hacker for the tip.

* Chris LaBrooy, whose work we’ve previously posted to Four-Links, has a new group of automotive 3D images up called “Tales of Auto Elasticity,” featuring some kama sutra pickups. (via)

* With 1,800 horsepower out of a twin-turbocharged, DOHC V-8, flares about as wide in total as the car itself, a massive chin spoiler, and enough bulges and air ducts to put a modren-day hypercar to shame, this MGB GT that Engine Swap Depot recently took a look at aims to crush some records on the Nürburgring.

* Finally, the Crosley Auto Club‘s Crosley of the Month for December is feeding my jonesing for a Crosley Pup with a couple photos of the diminutive jeeplets, including the one above from 1943 of one undergoing testing at Camp Hale.

1968 Kaiser Jeep CJ5.

Back by popular demand, here’s another installment of the $5,000 Challenge. To recap, the rules are simple: I’ve chosen five vehicles from our online classifieds priced at $5,000 or less, and your job is to choose the one you’d buy (and, of course, tell us why you made this decision).

A few readers requested that I bump the dollar amount up to $10,000, but in many ways that defeats the purpose of the exercise, which was to identify potentially affordable cars that an enthusiast on a budget might be interested in. Yes, going to a $10,000 cap would dramatically increase the population, but for many new to the hobby a $10,000 asking price might as well be a $100,000 asking price.

A few readers complained that the first batch of $5,000 Challenge cars had few candidates that could be flipped for a profit, but that also wasn’t the purpose of the exercise. While flipping cars is one way to fund future projects, it’s also a potentially risky proposition for someone looking to break into the hobby. Yes, many have made money by fixing and reselling cars, but many more have lost significant money when a “sure bet” flip turned into a money pit.

Without further ado, here are this week’s candidates for the $5,000 Challenge. Which one would you most want in your own garage?

1967 Pontiac Bonneville convertible

Mechanically, the seller advises that this GM drop-top is in sound condition, but cosmetically, the car needs a significant amount of attention. There are no shots of the right side or undercarriage, so based on the limited information we have to go on it appears as if the body is straight and not too rusty. It will need paint, and the interior needs both a sound cleaning and a bit of reupholstery. Still, for those unafraid of body and interior work, the car could be a good deal, and there’s ample time to get it road-ready in time for summer 2015. The asking price? $2,950.

1966 MG MGB

This first-generation MGB has already seen its floors, rocker panels and lower fenders replaced as part of an earlier restoration project. Assuming that halted the progression of rust, this car may need little else besides paint, chrome and TLC. On the plus side, parts and support from local clubs can be easily sourced, making the MGB an ideal introduction to the joys of British motoring. The asking price for this chrome bumper, metal dash, wire wheel example? $4,500.

1968 Kaiser Jeep CJ5

Cosmetically, this CJ5 appears to be in reasonable shape, and mechanically it’s described as needing a carburetor rebuild and a bit of brake work. The running lights need to be looked at, too, but the solution could be as simple as a bad ground. The seller advises that the frame rails are solid, but the rust repair on the passenger floor is clearly an amateur job to us. For a little bit of elbow grease (and an afternoon spent welding in a new passenger floor pan), this Kaiser-built Jeep could be a fun weekend driver. The asking price? $3,900.

1949 Plymouth Suburban

We’d be the first to admit that postwar Plymouth wagons may be a hard sell to those looking to break into the hobby, but this one has much going for it. The body appears to be mostly straight, with a few expected dents and dings (including the one above the driver’s A-pillar), and the rust we can see appears to be superficial (and perfect to practice one’s metal-bending and welding skills on). As a former daily driver, it’s (mostly) mechanically sorted, and even comes with a reupholstered front seat. Yes, it needs a bit of panel beating, paint and interior work, but for the asking price of just $1,500, someone in the Hemmings Nation needs to save this car.

1973 Ford F100

The problem with old pickup trucks is this: Most have been worked to death by former owners, with beds and bodies that appear to have come straight from the local demolition derby. This truck appears to be an exception to the rule, with straight panels, a largely undented bed and little more than surface rust above the rear wheel wells. The seller claims the 45,896 miles are original, and that no modifications have been made (with the exception of the camper shell) over the truck’s 41 year life. In fact, it may be too clean for a legitimate project, as we’d likely continue to drive it exactly as is; those with higher standards could repair the rust and paint the truck, all while staying in the “affordable” category. The asking price? $3,950.

In the same Boro Park neighborhood of Brooklyn where we last saw a couple carspotting scenes from Anthony Catalano’s archives on Flickr, we now see these two mid-1970s scenes, separated by just a few blocks. Above, the intersection of 13th Avenue and New Utrecht Avenue under what is now the D train line, and below, another view of the D train line, this time on 57th between 13th and New Utrecht, pretty much the same location as one of the previous scenes. What do you see here?

We think of Willys-Overland as building off-roaders, but the four-wheel-drive version of its boxy Station Wagon didn’t debut until 1949, more than two years after the two-wheel-drive version.

The 4×4 wagon was initially powered, or perhaps underpowered, by the 63-hp Go Devil four. The 72-hp Hurricane F-head four offered a little more oomph when it was added to the lineup in 1950, but it wasn’t until 1954 that the wagon got a much-needed six cylinder. That engine was the 115-hp 226-cu.in flat-head Continental Red Seal that Willys dubbed the “Super Hurricane”—a byproduct of Kaiser’s takeover of Willys Overland in 1953. The 1962 model year saw the arrival of the Kaiser-Jeep Tornado OHC 230-cu.in. six-cylinder—an advanced engine that earned a reputation for being unreliable.

A Warner T-90 three-speed manual transmission was mandatory in wagons throughout its production run, mated to a Spicer 18 transfer case. For axles, the wagons used a Spicer 44 in the rear, with stump-pulling 4.88 gears (with a six-cylinder) and a Spicer 24 up front.

Though early postwar 4x4s can be eye-opening to drive in modern traffic, they draw admirers wherever they go, so at least when you finally get to your destination, you won’t have to worry about being alone.

This 1959 Willys Utility Wagon, for sale on Hemmings.com, was one of more than 8,000 built that year and looks like a good candidate for a restoration, maybe even a rolling restoration. Since they made these rigs from 1949 all the way through 1964 (1965s are out there and were reportedly retitled 1964 leftovers), the parts availability is pretty good, and because it’s part of the Jeep family, it has a fiercely loyal fan base. From the seller’s description:

1959 Willys Station Wagon For Sale or Trade. Includes winch. Solid with strong motor. Needs some attention to brakes and lights/signals.

Find more Willys for sale on Hemmings.com.

1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, chassis 3455GT, undergoing repairs in Maranello. Photos courtesy Ferrari Classiche.

This much is known: In 2012, while competing in a vintage road rally near Blois, France, American Christopher Cox and his wife, Ann, were injured when their 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO collided with a passenger car. The crash was severe enough to leave Ann Cox with broken bones, and while images of the accident are essentially nonexistent, damage to the car’s front and right side was said to be considerable.

When it comes to the repair of such a valuable Ferrari, the best source may well be Ferrari itself; now, over two years later, Ferrari Classiche has announced the completion of repairs to Cox’s GTO.

Media outlets wasted no time in calling the July 2012 incident the “world’s most expensive car crash,” thanks to the lofty value of the Ferrari 250 GTO. Two months prior to the accident, in May of 2012, another Ferrari 250 GTO (built for Stirling Moss) sold in a private transaction for a reported $35 million. That’s not to say that Cox’s car, which lacked the celebrity driver provenance, carried an identical value, but as one of just 36 Ferrari 250 GTOs built (39 if one counts the three 330 GTOs), chassis 3455GT was still worth a significant amount of money and represented an important chapter of Ferrari’s racing history.

To ensure its continued value, Cox entrusted Ferrari Classiche, a division of the Maranello-based automaker that specializes in maintenance, repair and restoration of classic Ferraris. The two-year repair involved far more than just panel beating, as Ferrari Classiche claimed the repair order also returned the car to the original engine and bodywork configuration present at its 1962 delivery. The Swedish national livery was added by a later owner, Ulf Norinder, who acquired chassis 3455GT in April of 1963.

It was under Norinder’s ownership that the car saw its greatest racing successes, achieving a victory at Vastkustloppet, Sweden, and a pair of podium finishes in the 1963 and 1964 Targa Florio. In the years since, the Ferrari has been enjoyed by a variety of owners around the globe, with most exercising the car regularly at vintage events.

Cox, who purchased chassis 3455GT in June of 2005, continued the tradition, and it’s oddly fitting that the car was damaged during a motorsport event highlighting the 50^th anniversary of the Ferrari GTO.

It’s impossible to know exactly how much Ferrari Classiche charged for repairs (or even if the at-fault driver’s insurance put a dent in the repair costs), but it’s safe to say that a factory restoration negates any doubt over the car’s future net worth. We certainly hope to see the distinctive blue-and-yellow GTO return to the show and vintage racing circuit in the coming years, but in the interim, here’s a short video of the car’s shakedown testing at Fiorano found by our friends at Motor Authority.

Neoprene fuel line.

Most vehicle repair shops are encountering a lot of fuel-line-related issues since the introduction of ethanol into America’s pump gas. Because of ethanol’s effects on rubber, plastic and metals, they are finding themselves spending a lot more time fixing fuel delivery systems than they did in the days of leaded gas and carburetors.

Shops that perform these fuel system repairs are faced with the fact that there are now many possible types of fuel line that are necessary to make a proper, safe and durable repair. The few rolls of neoprene fuel line or steel tubing that used to hang on the wall are now only part of the varied products needed to perform these repairs. New sizes, new materials, new attachment fittings and new manufacturer’s O.E. recommendations have caused many shops to expand their inventories of fuel line products to meet market demands.

So, we offer this guide to the backyard mechanic as a reference for selecting the right products to purchase and keep in your own garage for the specific repairs you may find necessary. While plain neoprene fuel line will still work for many applications, these other products are designed to meet specific needs.

Standard neoprene fuel hose can be used for fuel, PCV and EEC systems on all vehicles where working pressures are under 50 psi or vacuum ratings are under 24-in. Hg for 7/16-inch and smaller inside-diameter sizes (10-in. Hg for ½-inch diameter hose). Fuel line is a petroleum-resistant nitrile tube with a covering that resists weathering, ozone and heat and can be used for ethanol-laced fuels and diesel fuel. It should, however, not be used on coolant systems, oil systems or fuel-injection systems that produce pressures higher than 50 psi. SAE ratings displayed on the hose should be 30R6 or 30R7.

Neoprene fuel line is available in 1/8-inch through 5/8-inch sizes on bulk rolls, with additional 3-foot sections of large 1-1/2-inch through 2-1/4-inch sizes available for gas filler neck applications. Neoprene with an outer steel braiding is also offered for custom applications; however, it is difficult to clamp with a standard worm gear clamp. Special AN-type fittings are often necessary with steel-braided fuel line.

When a bent filler neck hose is necessary, wire-inserted fuel hose is also offered. It bears the SAE 30R5 rating and can withstand temperatures of -40 to 212 degrees. Working pressure is not relevant, but wire-inserted hose can withstand 50-85 psi, depending on diameter.

High-pressure fuel hose for clamp-type fuel-injection systems is also available. This fuel hose is SAE 30R9-rated and uses a fluoro elastomer inner liner that will withstand up to 180 psi and 300 degrees. It is approved for all fuel blends including straight methanol, and the outer coating is also ozone- and abrasion-resistant. High-pressure fuel-injection hose can also be used in low-pressure applications, but the difference in pricing may convince you to save it for where it is needed.

Nylon fuel line.

Many late-model production cars are now using hard, black nylon tubing with special connectors to attach fuel-feed lines to the gas tank sending unit/fuel pump modules. This gas-resistant nylon tubing can be purchased by the foot or in short sections with the proper ends already attached to one end. Nylon tubing uses barbed fittings that are inserted into the tubing, and the connection is then heated to shrink the tubing around the fitting.

Marine fuel hose is a different product than standard fuel hose and has to be Coast Guard approved. Marine hose must have the SAE J1527 Style R1 rating emblazoned on the hose to pass as seaworthy. Marine hose is rated for 40 psi and will work in a pinch for carbureted passenger cars and light trucks.

Tygon fuel hose.

Small engines on your lawnmower, ATV or motorcycle use a gas-resistant vinyl tubing called Tygon. It is usually clear or transparent yellow in color and is preferred over the clear vinyl tubing you can purchase for your beer keg tap or for use as a wiring loom. Tygon is available in short sections or on a large roll and can be quite expensive, but it will outlast the standard vinyl by many years and does not turn brown and brittle after extended use, as vinyl tubing often does.

Standard rubber vacuum or heater hose should never be used in fuel applications. The hose will deteriorate from the inside out and can plug fuel filters and carburetors with rubber debris, long before it springs an external leak.

Photos by Drew Shipley, courtesy Auctions America.

When the wall at the back of the rented building came down, a few bricks fell inward. Nobody present—not even the owner of the building—knew what the wall concealed or even why the guy who had rented it put the wall up, they just knew that the wall had to come down. And when the dust cleared, they found that the bricks that toppled inward had landed on the plexiglass rear window of an odd little Mustang that raised a whole lot of questions that haven’t been conclusively answered even today, almost 50 years later, when the Mustang has been slated to go to auction.

What happened after the discovery of the shortened two-seater fiberglass-bodied Mustang in that warehouse in Inkster, Michigan, appears rather straightforward. The warehouse owner, who only tore down the wall after the guy who rented the space about six months prior—Vince Gardner, a veteran car designer who had worked for Cord and Auburn in the 1930s and Studebaker in the 1940s and 1950s—failed to pay all but the first month’s rent, either alerted the authorities or Ford directly. The Mustang, considered stolen after it disappeared from a Detroit-area warehouse in May of 1965, went to Aetna, the insurance company that had previously cut a $10,000-plus check to Dearborn Steel Tubing, the company that turned the car out a year or two prior.

Aetna, based in Hartford, Connecticut, then shipped the Mustang back to its headquarters, where it sat outside for a year or so until one of its executives bought it, titled it, put about 11,000 miles on its tri-power 302, and then placed an ad for it in the December 1968 issue of Hemmings Motor News.

He found a buyer in Bill Snyder, a Cleveland-area print shop owner who had seen the car both in the May 1965 issue of Motor Trend and in person when the Ford Custom Car Caravan made a stop at a Cleveland-area dealership; Snyder inquired about buying one then—”The Motor Trend article made it sound like Ford was going to start producing them,” he said—but was told that it was just an idea car not meant for production.

So Snyder jumped at the chance to buy the show car. He repaired the rear window and repainted the Mustang from its cracked candy apple lacquer to black primer, then drove it around Cleveland for another 4,000 miles before socking it away. He kept it in storage for the next few decades, until Bill Warner, chairman of the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, learned of the Mustang in 2011 and told Snyder that if he restored it, Warner would feature it in the concours. Snyder did, and Warner did.

But its pre-brick-wall history had some peculiarities, starting with the VIN: 5S08F100009, which indicates a 1965 Mustang convertible powered by the F-code, two-barrel, 260-cu.in. V-8—specifically, the ninth Mustang to come off of the assembly line at Ford’s pilot plant in Allen Park, Michigan, according to early Mustang historian Bob Fria. Fria said that alone makes the car significant, given that his research shows that only 15 pilot Mustangs were built in November or December 1963 (all notchbacks or convertibles), and just three of those 15—including Snyder’s—are known to exist.

Some of those 15 underwent destructive testing, while others went on to be evaluated by race teams and other departments within Ford Motor Company. According to Fria, Ford’s records show that three of the 15—the eighth, ninth and 10th—went to Andy Hotton at Dearborn Steel Tubing.

The eighth and 10th were reportedly scrapped, but the ninth went on to become something else. Snyder said he suspects that Ford had Dearborn Steel Tubing finish the Mustang with a scratch-built fiberglass fastback body and a custom-built tri-power 302-cu.in. V-8, specifically for the Ford Custom Car Caravan, with Vince Gardner’s help.

According to Snyder’s account of the car’s history, the Dearborn Steel Tubing-built fastback toured the country as the Mustang III, and once the Mustang finished its six-month tour on the caravan, Snyder said that Gardner learned that Ford planned to scrap the shortened Mustang and thus stole it to prevent its destruction, secreting it away in the Inkster warehouse.

“I think it was Dearborn Steel Tubing that filed the stolen car report,” Snyder said. “Though I still don’t know how it became (Dearborn Steel Tubing’s) property or why Ford would turn the title of it over to Dearborn Steel Tubing.” Ford later declined to prosecute Gardner, Snyder said, because Gardner was still doing pre-production engineering work for Ford.

However, auto historian Mark Gustavson, who has been researching the Ford Custom Car Caravan for an upcoming book, said Ford didn’t commission the shortened Mustang and that the company’s only direct involvement with the car came when Ford leased it from Gardner for the third edition of the Ford Custom Car Caravan.

“Gardner was an accomplished designer and needed no prompting from the Ford design studios,” Gustavson said. “There is no extant research that demonstrates that Gardner built the car to FoMoCo styling directives. It is not evidence that Ford owned the shorty Mustang because this car appeared in Ford Custom Car Caravan displays. Many independently-owned cars were leased by Ford for display in the Ford Caravan.”

Gustavson points to the DiDia 150, the so-called Bobby Darrin dream car; the Bill Cushenberry Silhouette; the Mustang Pegasus; and a number of vehicles built by George Barris, as examples of cars that independent customizers built and that Ford spotted and leased for the Custom Car Caravan.

He said he believes that Ford probably only became aware of the shortened Mustang once Gardner had already built it and entered it in a car show at Cobo Hall in Detroit. At the time, Gardner worked either directly for or as a freelancer for Hotton and would thus have had access to pre-production cars through Dearborn Steel Tubing. (Indeed, in his book Mustang Genesis, The Creation of the Pony Car, Fria notes that in 1963 Ford sent a Falcon chassis to Dearborn Steel Tubing for Gardner to convert into what would become the Mustang II show car.)

Whatever Gardner’s motivations for bricking the Mustang up in a warehouse and then not paying rent on the space, Gustavson didn’t say, but the answer perhaps lies in a profile on the designer that Michael Lamm wrote for the October 2007 issue of Collectible Automobile, in which he noted that Gardner battled mental health issues throughout his life.

A loner and a misfit, Gardner worked feverishly on projects and gained the trust of his mentor Gordon Buehrig, but also seemed to have trouble working with others, holding down jobs, maintaining relationships, or even staying in one place for too long. His troubles led him to spend part of the early 1940s in a mental institution and drove him to attempt suicide at least twice before killing himself in 1976.

“The history of the car is a lot more nuanced and complicated than the simple claim that Gardner just stole the car and hid it away,” Gustavson said.

Gustavson also calls into question that the Mustang III moniker was applied to the shortened Mustang. While a car on the Ford Custom Car Caravan did appear to go by the Mustang III name, Gustavson said it was applied to a Barris-built car. Though, as Gustavson noted, “these sorts of car name oddities occurred regularly.” This, of course, is counter to the Motor Trend article, which identified the car as the Mustang III.

Snyder, who displayed the car under a Mustang III banner this summer alongside the Mustang I and Mustang II concept and show cars, said that he’s “not certain that (the Mustang III name) is a very important part of its history,” but maintains that Ford commissioned the Mustang. “Vince Gardner couldn’t have bought it because the VIN is a pre-production number,” Snyder said. “It had to have been Ford that did this car. I have the correspondence back and forth between Dearborn Steel Tubing, Ford, and the Inkster Police Department.”

Regardless of its history, the Mustang nowadays sports a full restoration back to its original candy-apple red paint and black interior. The 302 engine and automatic transmission remain original to the car, Snyder said, and though he describes it as a great driver, he doesn’t take it out much because of its uniqueness. “We like to drive our cars, we don’t like to just have them sitting around, which is one reason we’re selling it,” he said.

The Mustang, which will cross the block at the Auctions America event in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has been estimated to sell for between $400,000 and $600,000.

The Auctions America Fort Lauderdale sale will take place March 27-29. For more information, visit AuctionsAmerica.com.

According to the description offered by Vieilles Annonces of this found photo depicting the Minnesota state capitol building, the folks in the photo were getting ready for the 1959 Memorial Day parade, and we presume that meant as participants. But, given the dearth of empty parking spaces around the capitol building that day, we have to wonder where all the other paraders are. If you see them, point them out. In the meantime, what do you see among the cars parked here?

When it comes to thinking of the top factory Mopar racing machines, the Neon rarely – if ever – enters the conversation. For plenty of people, it might not even be in the same universe.

But Chrysler did go racing with the first-generation Neon in the form of the ACR model, like this 1994 Dodge Neon ACR currently for sale on Hemmings.com. Homologated by the SCCA, the ACR (for American Club Racer edition) was available as a coupe or sedan. Stripped down of creature comforts like air conditioning or a stereo, the ACR was literally a race car you could buy in the showroom. All you needed was to bolt in a roll bar and harness and you were ready to go.

Available as a Dodge or Plymouth (the Neons sold under either banner were essentially identical save for a few special editions here and there), the sedan featured the 132hp SOHC 2.0-liter mill and the coupe completed its laps with the 150hp DOHC engine under its hood. All were powered by a unique five-speed transmission with closer-spaced ratios than the standard cars.

Other speed equipment included fatter anti-roll bars front and rear, adjustable shocks and a four-wheel disc brake package that made do without the anti-lock system normally included with the option. With faster ratio steering and less sound-deadening material, the stripped-down Neon proved a hit with SCCA racers. Even without A/C, the ACR models got the cooled Neon’s larger radiator to better cope with the stress of driving flat-out on the track. Although the ACR used the sculpted front fascia from higher-trim models that included round fog lights, the ACR’s front end just featured empty holes where the auxiliary lamps would normally be found.

For the late 1994 model year debut, Chrysler made fewer than 200 Neon ACR sedans available to licensed SCCA racers, along with a nice pot of contingency money up for grabs for those who could put the Neon on the podium. For the 1995 to 1999 model years, the ACR became just another option in the catalog and you no longer needed an SCCA license to buy one. Just the same, A/C and stereo could now be included, though the close-ratio manual and non-ABS brakes remained the only setup. For 1995, Chrysler also added a 2mm thicker flange to the front wheel hubs.

The Neon earned a fair share of trophies, from three consecutive Showroom Stock C national crowns from 1995 through 1997 to a slew of Pro Solo and Solo II titles. Perhaps it doesn’t roll off the enthusiast’s tongue as easily as Max Wedge 426 or Hemi, but the Neon showed that, even in the 1990s, Mopar knew how to go racing.

The find of the day here is one of the early, 1994 sedan-only models, with an extensive racing history that includes such famed venues as Road America, Laguna Seca and Sebring.  Purchased new by a Dodge dealer in 1994—and now being sold by that same Dodge dealer now retired—this Neon has been refurbished as a street car using what he describes as a slew of NOS parts.

Although it now largely resembles an ordinary, roadgoing Neon, those in the know will see the missing fog lamps, the four-wheel disc brakes and unmistakably the roll cage, said to be sourced from the Archer Brothers, a very successful Chrysler-affiliated team from the late 1980s through the late 1990s.

We’ll hold off judging on the collectability of the mass-produced and relatively recent Neon. The ACR doesn’t have the cachet of, say, the re-imagined Challenger, but what it does have, is actual road-racing street cred, the kind that the new Challenger sorely lacks. Given the relatively modest performance of a 132-hp sedan in a world where minivans are knocking on the door of 330 horses, the 1994 ACR needs to be put in perspective: It’s a rare factory race car that helped put Chrysler performance back on the map. From the seller’s description:

The Dodge Neon was part of the reemergence of the Chrysler Corporation after Lee Iacocca retired. All new products including the Neon, the Ram, the Intrepid, struck a hopeful and revolutionary product note for the often dowdy Chrysler offerings. These cars and trucks were highly styled, revolutionary in their value, and offered features that were world beaters. Articles were produced by the Japanese Press about how the Neon was going to usurp Japanese models because of their high horsepower, high content (standard features) and extremely low price. At a time when the Corolla produced all of 115 horsepower, the Neon produced 130 horsepower and was extremely lightweight. These cars were FAST, not just fast for their price range but FAST. The ACR was offered only to SCCA members. It was a factory ringer. Devoid of any sound deadening insulation, the only Neon ever offered with rear disk brakes with no ABS and a closer ratio 5 speed, larger anti sway bars, faster ratio steering, heavy duty front hubs, and special engine computer put these cars right in the middle of the SSC classification and made them competitive right from the beginning. I believe only 230? of these cars were produced in this first year, I might be off my 50 cars one way or another,. As a Dodge dealer and an automotive enthusiast, I had been taking driving schools for years and decided it was time to go racing. I purchased two of these vehicles, formed a race team, and proceeded to campaign all over the country for the next two years. I collected some of the most famous racing courses like some people collect the most famous golf courses. This car has seen Road America, Laguna Seca, Sebring, and probably another 20 more across the country. We were competitive, winning a few races here and there but mostly, we just had a lot of fun as I got to drive on my dream race courses. After the racing, the cars were used as office runners at my dealership but nobody liked to drive them because they were so rough riding and so noisy inside. At one point, my body shop got slow, I got a wild hair, and I pulled the ACR out of shagging service, stuck it in the body shop, ordered every single new part I could find for the vehicle and refurbished it completely with NOS parts and a complete interior and exterior paint job (only I am crazy enough to restore a Neon). The original Archer Brother cage was put back in but I left the belts out. This car brings back a lot of great memories I have pounded around storied race courses surrounded with 20-35 cars on the grid, pushing them out of the way to get the line into the first corner. It was a great time in my life and although this is a Neon, it is one of less than 500 ever built and is part of racing history.

Find more Dodges for sale on Hemmings.com.