In The News

Harley-Davidson lends name, shares image with LoneStar

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Boys and their toys don’t get any bigger than this.

When they sat down to supper, the several hundred International truck dealers and customers who had gathered for an earlier presentation by Navistar executives might have suspected something special was behind the truck-sized curtain across the banquet hall.

And they might have wondered why their favorite truck maker opted to follow an elegant dessert with the floor-pounding rhythms of a hard rock classic. Then the throbbing bass line was replaced by the unmistakable thunder of big V-twin motorcycles, as dozen of bikers circled the venue in a conga line that would have made the Wild One proud.

And to think some folks were concerned there wouldn’t be much exciting at the Mid-America Trucking Show this year.

Lights. Smoke. Curtain.

Ladies and gentlemen, the International LoneStar Harley-Davidson Special Edition.

If the standard Lone Star was designed to be one of a kind, what black leather magic was behind this creation?

“The Harley-Davidson Special Edition takes LoneStar to the next level,” said Dee Kapur, president, Navistar Truck Group. “It’s the perfect combination of LoneStar originality and Harley-Davidson authenticity.”

The truck is authentic all the way down to its design elements. The headlights are actual headlamps from Harley-Davidson motorcycles and the leather seats feature the same Harley-Davidson Bar and Shield that appear on Harley-Davidson motorcycles. And chrome, “acres of polished chrome,” noted Ron Hutchinson, senior vice president of product development for Harley-Davidson Motor Co., in introducing the truck to the suddenly rowdy crowd.

“When the opportunity to work together first came about, we were intrigued about designing a long-haul truck that had the sleek forms and unique shapes that are unique to Harley-Davidson motorcycles,” said Hutchinson. “The collaboration produced a truck that has the innovation of Navistar with the heart and soul of Harley-Davidson. This truck oozes the freedom and spirit of the open road.”

And it seems Navistar might have done its marketing homework. It took The Trucker all of two tries to find an owner of both International trucks and Harley-Davidson bikes.

Mark McDermott of Enosburg Falls. Vt., has a dairy transportation company that runs 74 trucks, all Internationals. He’s also ridden Harleys for 30 years.

“It’s beautiful,” McDermott said, taking a close-up look at the LoneStar. “I just called my brother to see if we could order one.”

He had a notion to reward a special driver with a special truck, and he figures he has a couple of longtime drivers who are worthy.

Then he considered the downside: some people might get mad him.

Like who, The Trucker asked.

“Like all my other drivers,” McDermott said.

If that’s the case, International should be prepared for a lot of angry truckers. The company is only making 250 of the Haley-Davidson truck in 2009 — and the first one’s already sold.

Below are the basics, but International offers 40 customization options to make this LoneStar edition even more special.

Exterior features:

Unique metallic black paint with contrasting silver/orange striping in classic Harley-Davidson style Distinctive grille, inspired from the 1939 International D-series with distinctive Harley-Davidson logo-type side graphics Deep, clean, and classically simple front bumper with integrated fog and marker/turn lamps and optional Double Six bumper light bar Authentic Harley-Davidson headlights, pulled directly from the famous Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle Performance Division Massive 7-inch chrome stacks with aggressive bologna cut tips for a custom look Set-back fuel tanks for a sleeker, West Coast appearance Custom-forged and -machined 24.5-inch aluminum wheels with unique lug nut covers and Harley-Davidson Bar and Shield center caps, and Unique formed super-deep custom sunshade and a distinctive aluminum battery box sporting Harley-Davidson  Bar and Shield logos.
Interior Features:

Unique bright finish shift lever with engraved limited production engine-turned number plate on a custom shifter handle including owner's name and a distinct limited edition serial number Rich, black perforated leather upholstery with color-coordinated black-on-black stitching throughout Authentic Harley-Davidson fuel tank badges on front seatbacks and rear couch bolster Special Edition instrument cluster featuring hooded gauges with turned aluminum faces and an engine-turned argent colored housing background for the cluster and secondary display Harley-Davidson logo-types debossed into rich leather door panel top-covers Distinctive dark rosewood cabinetry and instrument panel accents and a rich dark walnut insert in the sleeper floor, and Pull-down bed quickly converts from couch to 42-inch-wide bunk with standard innerspring mattress or an optional Lattoflex Sleep System with a memory foam mattress.
The International LoneStar Harley-Davidson Special Edition is available in a sleeper configuration only. It will be available for order next month and will enter production in June.

Kevin Jones of  The Trucker staff can be reached for comment at [email protected] .