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2020 Harley-Davidson GMC Sierra brings the iconic brand to a new truck

The Harley-Davidson Ford F-150 rides alone no longer. Thanks to the Tuscany Motor Company, it now has a fellow truck associate to cruise with side-by-side on the open roads. Introducing the 2020 Harley-Davidson GMC Sierra, which will make its official debut at the 2020 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction. For years, a Harley-Davidson special edition package has been associated with the Ford F-150 nameplate. Although Ford does not offer a direct option from the factory, Tuscany Motor Company answered the demand and now builds truck packages that carry the famous American motorcycle name. With the direction of Harley-Davidson, Tuscany creates interior and exterior customizations that reflect notable and iconic features of the bikes. This year is the first time Tuscany has ever offered a Harley-Davidson package on a GMC Sierra, and as expected, it's pretty similar to the one offered on the F-150. The package includes at least 60 exclusive parts, and the Sierra is available in Onxy Black, Summit White, or Satin Steel Metallic.  Setting the tone are Fatboy-inspired 22-inch milled aluminum wheels wrapped in chunky 35-inch all-terrain tires. As Tuscany is a division of Fox performance parts, the truck rides on a specially designed BDS suspension with tuned Fox shocks and lateral stability bars. The truck also has a redesigned front bumper and grille with an integrated LED light bar for off-roading, power running boards with rock guard trim and entry lights, color-matched Harley-Davidson-designed fender flares, custom front fender vents with the Harley logo, an induction-style hood, a redesigned rear bumper, and a tuned exhaust with billet tips. More badging, tailgate cladding, a windshield header, orange tow hooks, and a bed rug add extra pizzazz. Finally, for all the planes, drones, and aliens who are eyeing pickups from the sky, the tonneau cover is debossed with the Harley-Davidson logo.  Inside, the fan pack includes leather seating with orange diamond stitching, and piano black door panels, console, and trim. Harley-Davidson badging and branding is on the seats, on the center console, on the floor mats, the door sill inserts, the instrument gauges, and even the pedals.  If this is up your alley, and you're interested in buying, the Sierras, no matter the color, start at $94,995 before taxes and fees. For more information, visit Tuscany. Related Video:

George W. Bush's 2009 Ford F-150 fizzles with $300,000 bid at Barrett-Jackson [UPDATE: w/video]

Despite some truly impassioned pleading from Jay Leno himself - including calling on Arizona's notoriously Republican-rich voters to beat the $600,000 level set the last time Leno sold a vehicle for this particular charity... in California - bidding for George Bush's 2009 Ford F-150 pickup truck stalled at $300,000.
All proceeds will be sent to the Fisher House Foundation, so at least it's $300K going to a good cause. Feel free to check out the live image gallery above, which includes shots showing Leno's skills helming the auction, and read through the official auction description below.
*UPDATE: Video of the auction and Leno's prods to the crowd for more money can now be seen below.

Porsche, Jaguar continue dominance in 2015 JD Power APEAL study

The top of JD Power's 2015 APEAL Study has not changed much in the last year. Porsche remains No. 1 with Jaguar nipping at its heels, although both premium brands saw their overall score fall compared to 2014. For those that need a refresher, the APEAL Study looks at how "gratifying" a vehicle is to own and drive, rating cars and brands on a 1,000-point scale. The industry average for 2015 has increased from 794 to 798, while the total number of automakers that finished above the curve increased from 16 to 20. While Porsche and Jaguar finished at the top, their scores dropped eight and seven points, respectively, to 874 and 855. The top "non-premium" brand was Mini, which scored an impressive 825, up from 795. If the BMW-owned British marque is still a bit too premium for your tastes, last year's non-premium winner, Hyundai, did climb five points and is this year's runner up. At the opposite end of the scale, Smart sits at the very bottom of the rankings, with a score of 683 (it didn't appear on the 2014 rankings). Fiat also dropped, from fourth worst in 2014 to second worst in 2015, despite the 500 being named most appealing city car. Subaru made an impressive climb, from third worst to seventh, falling just 10 points shy of the industry average and two points south of the non-premium average. In the individual vehicle segments, eight brands earned multiple awards, with Ford, Chevrolet, and Porsche earning three apiece. Surprise segment victories included the new Ford Expedition, which beat out Chevy's popular Suburban. The Infiniti QX80 bested the likes of the Cadillac Escalade and Range Rover for best large luxury SUV, and the Dodge Challenger beat its muscle car rivals from Ford and Chevy. Most of the victories, though, were quite predictable. The Mazda6 and CX-5 took wins for the midsize sedan and compact SUV categories respectively, while the Volkswagen Golf captured the compact car win. The Ford F-150 won the large pickup category, while the Porsche Cayman was named most appealing compact premium sporty car. Check out the official release on the 2015 APEAL Study, available below, from JD Power. 2015 U.S. APEAL Study Results The latest safety-related technologies are among the drivers of customer satisfaction with new vehicles, according to the J.D. Power 2015 U.S.