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"Born in Detroit, dressed in Milwaukee."

That’s how Ford, the automaker, and Harley-Davidson, the motorcycle-maker, describe their joint-venture Ford Harley-Davidson F-150 full-size pickup.

Of course, once the marketing folks get involved there’s also a boast about “a product of passion from the alliance of two great American legends,” which sounds more like the promo for a late-night cable movie than it does a means of creating interest in a pickup truck for which a motorcycle-maker provided the accessories.

When Ford offered to send over a 2000 Harley-Davidson F-150, we didn’t expect much more than the typical couple dozen decals pasted on quarter panels, the way Ford for years created a special-edition model and justified a special-edition price tag.

The Harley truck proved a pleasant surprise. No decals, rather metal badges on the sheet metal and embossed lettering on the plastic liner. The traditional Ford honeycomb truck grille gives way to thin chrome horizontal bars. Flared fenders and side steps complement the package.

The real treat are the five-spoke, hand-polished aluminum wheels shod with p275/45R20 Goodyear Eagle GTII radials that make the Harley Ford look track ready.

While Harley was in charge of the decorating committee, the truck, as Henry Ford once boasted, comes in any color as long as it’s black — but with Harley orange pinstriping.

Inside the upholstery is — what else? — black leather, with metal Harley-Davidson badges sprinkled here and there. Kudos to Harley and Ford for not getting carried away with the sprinkling.

The “two great American legends” (Ford and Harley, not Oprah and Stedman) began with a Ford F-150 Super Cab, an extended pickup with a seat in the rear of the cabin for passengers or possessions and a swing-back access door on each side to allow easier entry to and exit from the back. If you need the space for more cargo, the seat cushion bottoms fold up.

For the 2001 model year, the “two great American legends” will add a new version of the Harley Ford pickup, a SuperCrew with four swing-out doors. When the SuperCrew arrives, the Super Cab departs. Only one version of the Harley Ford at a time for the next five years.

Ford said the first two in the five-member Harley lineup are full-size F-15 0 pickups. It doesn’t say what the others might be and whether an F-250 or an F-350 might be involved or perhaps a Harley rendition of the more economy-size compact Ranger pickup or perhaps a Harley SUV. In other words, stay tuned.

Glen Ray, Ford truck spokesman, said early feedback has it that some folks are committed to purchasing at least one of each of the five Harley trucks to be built to create a collection.

“We’d like to see all the trucks driven, but we expect some will be trailered home and mothballed for the collection,” he said.

If you, too, would like to collect but have a limited budget, be advised that one-eighth scale-model diecast Harley-Davidson F-150 Fords are in the works.

No price, but you can expect far less than the $33,000 needed to walk away with the full-size 2000 model. Check with your Ford and Harley dealers about the scale models.

But we digress. The truck is more than just a styling exercise. The suspensi on, b orrowed from Ford’s SVT, or Special Vehicle Team, was lowered an inch, spring rates revised and sway bars beefed up to ensure a smooth, luxury sedan-like ride while providing sit-up-and-take-notice-precise performance handling.

Maybe Town Car-like ride and Mustang-like handling don’t fit the Harley image, but it’s a concession that pays dividends for those who want to be in control of the machine under them.

The truck is powered by Ford’s lively 5.4-liter, 260-horsepower V-8, which delivers the power if not the fuel economy desired — 15 m.p.g. city/19 m.p.g. highway in this 4×2 extended cab.

And we emphasize 4×2, because you can’t get a 4×4. The lower suspension and those 20-inch performance tires didn’t allow four-wheel-drive.

Ford says the exhaust, also borrowed from SVT and its Lightning pickup, is tuned to provide the same low rumble sound effects as if taking off on a Harley motorcycle.

To enjoy that low rumble, we would suggest using your imagination because listen as we might, we couldn’t catch it.

Two items that were supposed to be included, a hard tonneau cover for the cargo bed and a leather Harley-Davidson pouch on the center console, were absent from the test vehicle.

Ford was unhappy with the original tonneau cover supplier and won’t get a batch from the new supplier until later this year, when owners will be given the cover free as a reward for their patience. The pouch is one of those on-second-thought-do-we-really-need-it-items that was deleted from the equipment list.

The 2000 Harley-Davidson F-150 Ford pickup starts at $32,445, which is $550 less than planned, thanks to the unexpected absence of that hard tonneau cover.

Finding one of these trucks will take some effort. Only 8,200 will be built for 2000, only about 10,000 of the four-door SuperCrew for 2001.

Ford insiders say that in keeping with the tenants of supply and demand, some dealers are charging $5,000 to $6,000 over sticker for the truck while others are simply asking full list. Those insiders also said that if you want to avoid paying $5,000 to $6,000 over, visit a dealer in a state where Harley-Davidson isn’t held sacred. One Ford suggestion was Wyoming. Illinoisans should take note, however, that when it comes to warranty work, traveling to Wyoming might be prohibitive. Making that trip for an oil change would be foolhardy.

Standard equipment in the Harley-Davidson F-150 includes four-wheel anti-lock-brakes; dual air bags with a passenger-side cutoff switch; body-colored front and rear bumpers; a suitable amount of chrome interior trim such as the steering column stalks, door handles and seat controls; Harley-Davidson “spun metal” instrument cluster; air conditioning; cruise control; tilt steering; keyless entry; and privacy glass.

Options are limited to a rear sliding window, six-disc CD player and engine-block heater.

Added traction

Here we go again.

One by one, Ford is attempting to address consumer concerns over sport-utility vehicles, such as their notoriously low fuel economy and charges that SUVs are more prone to tip and tumble than sedans or coupes.

The one it still has to address, of course, is the recall of the Bridgestone/Firestone radial tires on many of its best-selling SUVs, but let’s not stomp on them while down.

Ford took on the fuel-economy issue a few weeks back by saying it will increase mileage on it sport-ute fleet by 5 m.p.g. — by 2005 — so be patient.

Now comes word that Ford will offer AdvanceTrac, a traction-control and electronic-stability system, as standard equipment on all its sport-utilities and pickups.

Ford says AdvanceTrac will be especially beneficial for sport-utes that have a higher center of gravity than sedans.

AdvanceTrac, like StabiliTrak at General Motors, uses sensors to measure whether the ve hicle has begu n to slide, then applies braking selectively to whichever wheel will bring it back under control.

But while AdvanceTrac is going to be standard, Ford said it will be phased in with no model year set for all SUVs to have the system.

Ford would say only that the first use of AdvanceTrac will be on the new 2002 model Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer coming out early next year.

General Motors offers electronic stability control systems on nine cars in the Buick, Pontiac and Cadillac lineup and will add it this fall on the redesigned Cadillac Escalade full-size sport-ute.

GM has sold more than 400,000 vehicles with electronic stability control systems since 1997, when it was introduced on the Cadillac Seville sedan.

2000 Ford Harley F-150
Wheelbase: 138.5 inches
Length: 225.5 inches
Engine: 5.4-liter, 260-h.p. V-8
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
Fuel economy: 15 m.p.g. city/19 m.p.g. highway
Pluses: Stand-out exterior styling and interior decor. Exceptionally smooth ride and performance-oriented handling. Comfort of a luxury sedan. Rear seat for guests or kids or stuff. Rear-seat bottoms fold up for added cargo space. Passenger-side air-bag cutoff switch. Pair of rear access doors for exit/entry from either side.
Minuses: Available in only 4×2 version. Available only with leather (Harley, leather, get it?). Only about 8,200 to be built.