OAKVILLE, Ont., May 1, 2000 - Ford of Canada today announced it will produce up to 7,500 limited edition Harley-Davidson F-150 pickup trucks - 800 of which begin appearing in Canadian showrooms later this month at a suggested price of $43,295.

Employees from Ford and Fred Deeley Imports (Harley-Davidson's Canadian importer) cheered as the muscular, ground-hugging black beauty - complete with throaty growl - took its place alongside its F-Series siblings at a special Ontario Truck Plant (OTP) ceremony . These include Super Duty, Crew Cab and the SVT Lightning, which together comprise Canada's best-selling nameplate of the past six years.

"The Harley-Davidson F-150 pickup is a unique addition to Ford's best-selling F-Series lineup," said Bobbie Gaunt, Ford of Canada's president and CEO. "The decision to give OTP exclusive manufacturing privileges for this special-edition F-Series is high praise for the men and women who build them and whose commitment to quality is second to none."

In gleaming monochrome black with distinctive Harley-Davidson orange pinstriping and 20-inch styled chrome wheels, the truck thrums its own open-road tune through slash-cut, chromed exhaust pipes. Easily the most anticipated production event in recent OTP history, it joins the SVT F-150 Lightning as the second limited edition Ford F-Series pickup to be produced here.

The distinctive pickup has captured the imagination of automotive enthusiasts across North America - including Tonight Show host and self-proclaimed "gearhead" Jay Leno, who recently became customer number one for the Canadian-made Harley-Davidson F-150 truck.

The F-150's 260-horsepower, 5.4-litre, SOHC Triton ^TM V-8 powers the Harley-Davidson F-150, which is lowered one inch with revised springs and heavy-duty sway bar, adding to the vehicle's brawny appearance. The truck is built alongside Ford's F-150 pickups at the OTP, which employs 1,340 employees and produces 54 F-Series trucks each hour.

A marriage of powerhouse brands_

The new truck is the first product developed under a strategic alliance between Ford Motor Company and Harley-Davidson Motor Company - both of which will celebrate their corporate centennials in 2003. The alliance brings together two of the best-known, most-admired companies in the world, whose collective customers now have a new, distinctive vehicle - one that delivers a strong statement about their individuality.

"Ford's F-Series have been the top-selling pickups in Canada for an astonishing 34 consecutive years, and the best-selling vehicle for six years," said Brant Noltie, Ford of Canada's Truck Group Brand Manager. "This truck fuses the 'Built-Ford-Tough' durability of the F-150 with the almost mythic popularity and appeal of the Harley-Davidson brand name."

The offspring of two icons of the North American road, the new truck represents both power and presence, Noltie added. "This is truly a marriage of powerhouse brands."

For Plant Manager Patricia Reid, Ford Motor Company's choice of where to build the Harley-Davidson F-150 "recognizes the manufacturing dexterity of both this plant and its employees.

"OTP people have an impressive track record in assembling dramatically different niche vehicles that roll down the same line as the rest of the F-Series models they build," said Reid. "Most importantly, our employees combine excellent productivity with top quality."

The new pickup embodies visual cues that have made the motorcycle famous. Its distinctive badging, dash ornament, and unique "spun metal" instrument cluster, melds the pickup's sleek toughness with the motorcycle's enduring mystique.

Other interior features include ebony black leather-trimmed captain's chairs with embossed Harley-Davidson logo, chrome steering column stalks and door release hardware and black leather-wrapped trim and steering wheel.

Outside, the Harley-Davidson F-150 is a black, monochromatic 4 X 2 SuperCab pickup with a flareside box topped by a hard shell tonneau cover. Design engineers also specially tuned the single inlet-dual outlet exhaust to give it a more "robust" aural signature, thanks to an SVT Lightning-tuned muffler ending in dual chrome 3.5-inch "slash cut" exhaust tips. Ford and Harley-Davidson badges adorn the front fenders and a lower front valence encompasses built-in driving lamps.

Standard equipment includes air conditioning, speed control, tilt steering wheel, remote keyless entry, privacy glass, power windows/locks/driver's seat, overhead console with temperature & compass and AM-FM stereo with single CD player. The 2000 Harley-Davidson F-150 comes with only two options: a six-disc CD changer and sliding rear window.

The Ford and Harley-Davidson alliance provides the opportunity for the two companies to jointly develop and market exciting products, like the Harley-Davidson F-150, and a line of unique automotive accessories and apparel, available only through Ford dealerships and