Did You Know That a Harley-Davidson Truck Exists?

Harley-Davidson can pride itself on being America’s longest-running motorcycle company. It is, therefore, no wonder that when people want to manufacture products that make a statement, they partner with Harley-Davidson. You must have heard of the Bucherer Blue Edition priced at $1.9 million, making it the most expensive motorbike in the world. However, besides collaborating with luxury Swiss watch retailers, the motorcycle company has partnered with other vehicle manufacturing companies such as Ford. The results of such strategic alliances are Harley-Davidson trucks, and you can learn about them here.

The Unveiling of Ford Harley-Davidson Trucks

In 2003, Harley-Davidson Motor Company and Ford Motor Company celebrated 100 years of being in business, and they were proud of the heritage in providing Americans with durable motorcycles and pickups. As they marked the 100th anniversary, then-Ford Division President, Steve Lyons, said he was proud of the tremendous success that the partnership between the two motor giants had yielded. He explained that the products had appealed to both Harley-Davidson and Ford customers. The partnership he was talking about had been forged in 1999 when they came together to introduce their first product, Ford’s limited-edition Harley-Davidson F-150 pickup. Although the announcement came in 1999, it was not until February 2000 that the truck was unveiled. According to The Washington Post, the 2000 F-150 Harley Davidson was the first production vehicle with 20-inch wheels that Ford ever built. This vehicle debuted in all black. It had a classic red line from the corner of one headlight, running to the back and around the vehicle, to the other headlight. It also featured Harley Davidson badges on either side. The vehicle was powered by a 5.4-liter V8 engine that produced 260 horsepower. According to Motor Trend, the ebony black seats were complemented by badges on the back seats, an accessory pouch sitting in the center console, chrome and steering wheels. Other features included sliding rear windows, a six-disc CD changer, an engine block heater, specially tuned exhaust, and a one-inch lowering kit. The two companies produced 8,197 vehicles whose starting price was $32,995. They gave the first Harley Davidson F-150 edition to Jay Leno, who later sold it during a charity event. His vehicle was different from the rest because instead of the standard 5.4L V8 engine, it was supercharged 5.4L V8.

Discontinuation of the F-150 Pickup Trucks

In 2001, Ford made the world’s only four-door Harley Davidson truck; it had four full-size doors, and the company did not depart from the 20-inch wheels that the first 2000 edition truck had. The red line no longer went around the back, but it was on the sides near the wheels. The paint also changed to include orange and gray pin stripping, and only 6,831 units were sold in 2001. To boost the sales, they improved the 2002 edition. The vehicle had a supercharged 5.4L V8 engine with 80 horsepower, more than the previous engines. Therefore, it could sprint from 0-60 mph within 6.2 seconds. The color also changed to charcoal gray, and sales rose to 12,505 units in 2002. The 2003 model marked the two partnering motor companies’ 100th anniversaries, and it had lots of Harley-Davidson badges and logos. As a result, the car was deemed to have an identity crisis, but it still had impressive interior polish and performance. For $38,240, they moved 10,047 units that year. By 2004, Lyons could not hold back the excitement. He said that since the debut of the F-Series products, they had sold almost 40,000 trucks. Ford disclosed they planned on continuing with production through 2007. Lyons added that their customers were snatching up the vehicles as fast as they could be built, and they were opting for higher-end models. True to his word, when the fifth special edition of the Harley-Davidson trucks hit showrooms in February 2004, over 90% of the customers wanted crew cab models powered by 6.0-liter Power Stroke diesel engines. More trucks continued being produced as PickUpTrucks.com lists. However, in 2013 a Ford spokesman said they were not planning to make any more Ford F-150 Harley-Davidson trucks, and there was no particular reason for the decision. By then, the price of such vehicles had risen to $50,905. Ford said that even if it removed the Harley Davidson from the F-Series lineup, it had ten models, including a new 2013 Limited Model; thus, the company felt it had the market well-covered. However, the discontinuation could have been due to poor sales. Since 1999, the models only accounted for 2% of the total sales of the F-150 orders.

Now the First Harley-Davidson GMC Truck is Here

During the 2019 Chicago Auto Show, an F-150 truck was unveiled, but as RideApart published, it was not a collaboration of Ford and Harley-Davidson. Instead, it was built by Tuscany Motor Company (previously known as Harley Trucks). The F-150 Harley-Davidson pickup truck came with a 5.0 lite V8 supercharged engine that shells out 700 horsepower. Other features include 22-inch wheels, an LED light bar, BDS-tuned suspension, among others. In January 2020, another event went down in history. Tuscany Motor Company and Harley Davidson also teamed up to create the first-ever Harley-Davidson GMC pickup in history. As per the announcement, the truck would be introduced at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. The Vice President of Tuscany Motor Company said that fans had for a long time waited for a limited edition of GMC to celebrate their passion for Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The company listened to its fans’ pleas. The executive said that for the first time, people would ride a V8-powered Harley-Davidson edition GMC pickup. Under the partnership, GMC will provide the GMC Sierra. On the other hand, Harley-Davidson will instruct how the interior and exterior components will be made. The vehicle is unique because it has over 65 changes compared to a regular Sierra. It is only limited to 250 trucks priced at $94,995, and the truck also comes with a three-year, 36,000-mile warranty.