2003 Ford Harley-Davidson F-150 SuperCrew

Inside, the manly motif remains. The chrome steering column stalks, door pulls and seat adjusters command attention, as do the machine-turned faces on the instrument cluster and the full-leather look for the quad captain's chairs and front/rear covered consoles. The gauges are also emblazoned with "Supercharged" indicia, the seats are done in black hide with special light-gray inserts and the lids on the central storage bins carry an embossed flame motif. The final cosmetic flourishes include brushed stainless/rubber pedal covers, 100th Anniversary insignias and an individual number plate confirming its place in a limited edition run.

Seats are covered in black leather with light-gray inserts. Special brightwork, cosmetic flourishes and 100th Anniversary insignias further distinguish the Harley edition.

Other comfort/convenience upgrades include climate-control air conditioning, keyless remote-entry with keypad, power-adjustable pedals, special power exterior and electrochromic interior mirrors, H-D logo'd bedliner, Homelink/TravelNote systems, and a 7-/4-pin combo hitch that allows it to tow up to a 4,500-pound trailer.


The H-D SuperCrew shares the same basic suspension design as that found on its lesser F-150 kin: control arms and coils with a stabilizer bar up front team with a live axle on leaf springs and stagger-mounted shocks at the rear. Its 138.0-inch centerline-to-centerline dimension also is identical to the long-wheelbase Regular Cab and short-wheelbase SuperCab models. However, shorter, stiffer springs drop its ride height by an inch and demonstrably curtail body roll in corners. In addition to their extra grip, those wider, low-profile tires also contribute to even-quicker response from its power rack-and-pinion steering. While still susceptible to modest trailing-throttle tail-wagging when charging through corners at the limit, the H-D F-150 definitely ranks well up in the sport truck-handling hierarchy. The only legitimate blot in its copybook is that certain sections of humpback freeway can cause some decidedly unpleasant resonant wheel hop at certain speeds.


Even without Harley-Davidson embellishments, Ford's SuperCrew has proven a wise and welcome addition to the F-150 family. With four full-size doors, an adult-scaled rear seat, a 5 1/4-foot box that can be stretched another two feet with the optional bed extender and an add-on two-piece hard tonneau, it's a versatile alternative to a full-size SUV for people who frequently carry items too bulky or too dirty to be at home in the interior cargo bay of a conventional sport-ute.


But only the Harley-Davidson edition packs the kind of visceral punch that brings out those formerly dormant "Wild Ones" tendencies that lurk under the surface of all right-thinking pickup partisans. Price of admission to this surprisingly civilized and potential collectible road warrior starts at $37,295 including destination fees. Ours also had a manual sliding rear window, which added an extra $125. All things considered, it seems like money well spent. (www.fordvehicles.com)