Co-Branding Hits & Misses
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Most of us have heard of the Eddie Bauer edition Explorer or the Harley Davidson F-Series trucks. Many manufacturers have turned to co-branding to revitalize their lineup. Here's a look at some of the more interesting pairings:
Lincoln Town Car Cartier Edition - From 1998 to 2002, Lincoln produced a Cartier version of their classic Town Car (replacing the Jack Nicholas version of 1997). Cartier emblems in the seats and an authentic Cartier timepiece in the dash were meant to add another layer of class to the timeless sedan. The Cartier edition was popular with chauffeur companies.
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Peanuts Mitsubishi Pajero Mini - In celebration of Peanuts' 50th Anniversary, Mitsubishi released a co-branded version of their Pajero Mini in Japan. The "Flying Ace" character appeared on the steering wheel and mudflaps featured Snoopy's muddy pawprints.
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Cadillac deVille by Gucci - This luxury sedan came with 14 carat gold hood ornament, Gucci family crest on the roof panel, and a full set of matching Gucci luggage in the trunk.
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| Frank Sinatra Chrysler Imperial - Old Blue Eyes and Lee Iococca were good friends so this partnership was easy. The Sinatra edition came with a case of Sinatra cassettes and sold for only a year, in 1982.
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| Levi's Jeep - In the late 1970's Jeep introduced a Levi's version of the Wrangler (which also happens to be the name of one of Levi's biggest competitors). You guessed it - this special edition came complete with denim interior! Enthusiasts eagerly seek these out for their collections today.
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COP CARS OF THE FUTURE
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The standard police vehicle, the Ford Crown Victoria, will end its reign in 2011 when Ford stops its production. Manufacturers are competing to design the ideal cop cars of the future.
GM has announced it will introduce a new Chevy Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle which will join the Tahoe and Impala in their police vehicle lineup. The new Caprice will do zero to sixty in six seconds, have about 355 horsepower, and a top speed around 150. An added selling feature is seats that conform to all the items police officers carry on their belts, making a more comfortable ride.
 Chrysler recently retired their Magnum police vehicle, but the Charger remains popular for police applications. There are currently 35,000 Dodge Charger police vehicles on the road, representing 17 percent of the market share.
 Ford will introduce the Police Interceptor to replace the Crown Vic. It is in its final design phase right now, in conjunction with the Police Advisory Board. The focus is on safety, durability, performance, and comfort. It will be built on Ford's D platform, like the Taurus and MKT. Ford plans to reveal the Interceptor in the first quarter of 2010.
We will all likely be seeing these vehicles on the road soon, but hopefully not in our rear view mirrors with their lights flashing.
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