Ford Motor Company kicked off its presence at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show at a massive Harley-Davidson dealership just outside of the Windy City in the suburb of Glenview, Illinois. There, Chief Engineer Matt O’Leary gave a brief presentation, reviewing most of what has already been released regarding FoMoCo’s latest special edition, the new 2010 Ford Harley-Davidson F-150.Afterward, I had a chance to talk with Ford Design Manager Brad Richards, the guy responsible for the Harley-Davidson line of special edition F-Series trucks. Even though the Harley-Davidson changes to the F-150 are almost entirely color and trim, Richards revealed some interesting details:
Harley-Davidson head honchos are deeply involved with the project. Ford designers like Richards visit Harley-Davidson’s Milwaukee studio at least twice a year to meet with H-D founder Willie G. Davidson and other senior officials. Richards and other bikers on Ford’s staff also ride to events like Daytona Bike Week and Sturgis with Harley-Davidson staff to meet with bike enthusiasts and see what trends they may be following.
The team that has put together fourteen Harley-Davidson F-Series trucks over the last nine years is something of a “skunk works” within Ford. “We’ve pioneered a few things that have gone on to other F-Series trucks,” says Richards. “We can try things out because volumes are lower. Like those 22-inch wheels. Now you can get them on every F-Series.”
The use of aniline leather was also pioneered on Harley-Davidson F-Series trucks. This is a less treated type of cowhide that shows age the way a broken-in leather jacket or favorite pair of shoes might. “It’s leather that is not as treated, that is closer to natural -- so the patina changes over time,” says Richards. Again, the low volume of these trucks and “skunk works” mentality of the Harley-Davidson/Ford alliance allowed for experimentation with this kind of leather. As a result, aniline leather is also found on Ford’s King Ranch line of vehicles as well.
Some of the more expensive items on the truck are the cloisonné badges found on the seats. Made by hand in a multi-step process (Brad said something like 12 steps of firing and re-firing), no two of these badges are identical. They are handsome though, and add a bit of Native American/wild west feel to the interior. Other tricky bits are aluminum Harley-Davidson bar and shield badges. No way Willie G. would allow Ford to use plastic, says Richards (though I was surprised to hear he didn’t demand iron).
Most Harley-Davidson F-150 owners do not use their trucks to haul or tow their motorcycles. In fact, a substantial number of H-D F150 owners do not even own Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Those who do tow or haul, tend to use the Super-Duty F-250 version.
Finally, the mind blowing factoid of the night courtesy of Richards: Willie G. went to Art Center College of Design, one of the world’s foremost automotive/transportation design schools. That is a bit like finding out Alice Cooper attended Juilliard, no?
No word on the pricing, volume, or availability of 2010 Ford Harley-Davidson F150, but we’d speculate roughly $60,000 (like the previous generation), with availability this spring, and a target of approximately 15,000 units.
Ford will likely move every one it makes, as the Harley-Davidson special edition has traditionally been a strong seller.
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