2003 Ford Harley-Davidson F-150 SuperCrew

You could pretty much see this one coming from the very start. When America's most successful truck producer and its most legendary motorcycle manufacturer joined forces back in 2000, their collaboration yielded one of the slickest-looking pickups ever to hit a showroom floor. A low-slung, high-strung study in black and brightwork, the original limited edition Harley-fied F-150 was a rolling objet d'art that even non-truck people had to admire for its unique blend of cool and competence. The subsequent switch from SuperCab to the SuperCrew body style in 2001 added even more practicality to the package.

A black-over-silver two-tone paint scheme joins Basic Black as the color offerings for 2003. Other distinguishers are 20-inch wheels, a redesigned front fascia and special insignias.

The coup de grace this year is a special two-tone paint scheme and badging that pays homage to the centennial anniversaries for both Ford and Harley-Davidson. The front valance and grille have also been freshened for '03. Only 12,000 of these trucks will be built.


Mechanically, the 2003 Harley SuperCrew carries over from last year. Power still comes from the SVT-inspired 5.4-liter Triton V-8 that lurks beneath the H-D F-150's menacing hood with a supercharger and intercooler. A force-feeding system really brings this hell-bent-for-leather hauler to life. It cranks output on the engine from its normally aspirated 260 horsepower and 350 lb.-ft. of torque to a towering 340 ponies and 425 lb.-ft. of twist. Although a slightly larger main blower-drive pulley ensures those figures remain modestly below the top-gun F-Series SVT Lightning, they still give the H-D variant the kind of serious thrust needed to properly complement the rest of its bad-boy persona.


Rounding out the drivetrain hardware are a standard 4R100-HD 4-speed automatic transmission and limited-slip differential, both of which help ensure that this clearly predatory pickup remains a most agreeable daily commuter-and help it earn LEV smog certs from the Feds. But mash down on the accelerator and this force-fed engine undergoes a rapid-fire Jeckyll-to-Hyde transformation, kicking you back in the seat with a ferocity that its predecessor namesakes could only dream about. Full-throttle charges are accompanied by a mellow roar from its special low-restriction exhaust system and a subdued scream from the supercharger that collectively add a healthy measure of aural authority to its already-striking visual presence.

Borrowing a few tricks from the SVT Lightning, the '03 Harley F-150 retains an Eaton roots-type supercharger and intercooler on its 5.4-liter Triton V-8.

As in the past, you won't confuse the Harley-Davidson signature model with any other F-150. Although a new two-tone paint scheme has joined Basic Black, there are oversize chrome H-D badges on the front flanks and tailgate as well as the massive 20x9 chrome cast-alloy wheels with 275/45VR20 Goodyear Eagle GTII tires, unique body-color front fascia with integrated fog lamps, chrome bar grille and side nerf bars and even special H-D windshield logos to prevent even the most myopic motorist from failing to recognize its primal appeal.