The 10 best cars with weird brand connections

The collaborative culture is here to stay, it seems. Look wherever you go, you’ll find line-inducing brand collabs like Omega But beyond fashion, some automakers have also teamed up with some unexpected partners, from clothing manufacturers to motorcycle and alcohol brands. Seriously, a drinks brand talked to one of the world’s most unhinged supercar makers and dreamed of a wild collaboration.

Take Ford for example. The Blue Oval seems to have a penchant for partnerships, often teaming up with favorite clothing brands to produce special edition styles. However, it’s not just clothing brands. Ford also partners with Harley-Davidson from time to time, building trucks with Milwaukee’s instantly recognizable motorcycle manufacturer’s Bar & Shield. Here are 10 of the wildest and sometimes most bizarre combinations in the automotive industry. Fasten your seat belt and settle into your denim-covered seats. You read that correctly.

This is far from an exhaustive list of every collaboration and partnership between automakers. However, it is a researched list of some of the wildest results from partnerships between automakers and brands.

Ford and Carhartt

Ford will join forces with Carhartt for a new super task

Let’s start with a new one. Ford and Carhartt are coming together for one of the Blue Oval’s latest collaborative projects. Enter the 2027 Ford Super Duty Carhartt Edition truck. Details on the Carhartt Edition Super Duty are a bit thin for now. But if previous Ford F-Series special trucks are any indication, we can expect copious Carhartt badging and design cues. In a press release, Ford said designers visited Carhartt’s storefront in Detroit for inspiration, including creating model-specific wheels that resembled the manhole covers at the store. However, Ford says the brand partnership is about more than just the truck. According to Tyler Hill, senior manager at Ford Global Licensing, “Carhartt’s DNA is all about hard-working people, doing incredible things with their rugged apparel, which is as necessary as the tools they use – just as our truck builders serve as tools of their trade.” We expect to learn more about the truck in the coming months.

Ford and Eddie Bauer

Decades of Ford SUVs and Eddie Bauer

Carhartt not your thing? What about Eddie Bauer? One of Ford’s longest-running brand relationships centers around the Washington-headquartered apparel company. Unlike the automaker’s brand new partnership with Carhartt, Ford’s first Eddie Bauer edition rolled off the line as a 1983 model. Since then, Ford has produced Eddie Bauer versions of the Bronco, Explorer, Expedition and Excursion SUVs. The love affair between Ford and Eddie Bauer finally came to an end after 2010. However, that does mean decades of Ford SUVs with the Eddie Bauer treatments remain on the used car market.

Lincoln and Shinola

Double the Detroit with this Lincoln Aviator Shinola Concept

Think Detroit brands. You’re probably picturing names like Ford Motor Company, General Motors, and Chrysler, right? It makes sense, then, that Ford’s Lincoln luxury sub-brand would partner with another local Detroit company. In this case it is Shinola, an American watchmaker, bicycle maker and leather goods company. “Shinola opened their showroom to us as a playground – allowing us to explore how their brand’s lifestyle ethos could be woven into a new theme for one of our vehicles,” said Kemal Curic, Lincoln design director. “Our designers were given a rare gift and they made the most of it. The new insights our team gained from studying popular design motifs make this new Aviator concept a true tribute to craftsmanship.” Lincoln says designers took inspiration from Shinola’s Canfield watch and Runwell bicycle to create the concept SUV. However, the 2021 concept remained just that: a concept.

AMC Gremlin and Levi’s

Riding by the seat of your pants

Automakers and car builders can get a little, well, creative with vehicle interiors. It is not impossible to find houndstooth patterns and even hemp in the cabin of many a quirky car. But few, if any, cars have the eccentric innards of the AMC Gremlin and the Levi’s treatment. Starting in 1973, the much-maligned AMC Gremlin offered a Levi’s appearance package that traded interior materials for a denim look, complete with copper palette stitching, metal buttons and a Levi’s tag. As if that wasn’t enough, the door panel inserts featured denim, blue jean-style pockets and antique Levi’s logos. Needless to say, it’s a favorite among collectors who go for the “wow” factor.

Subaru and L.L. Bean

A robust Subaru Outback with LL Bean accents

Subaru found a partner in LL Bean in 2000. But instead of rolling out a line of Subaru-branded jackets and hats at LL Bean stores nationwide, the Japanese brand launched an LL Bean edition for the Subaru Outback, complete with luxurious touches to celebrate the brand’s partnership with the premium outdoor apparel company. Thanks to the timing, the LL Bean edition Subaru Outback rode on the then new platform. That meant a 3.0-liter flat-six engine with 212 horsepower that motivated the utilitarian car. Not too shabby. As for the LL Bean of it all, the special edition Outback featured pleasant, light-colored leather treatments throughout.

Ford and Harley Davidson

The Bar & Shield meets America’s favorite pickup

The Sturgis Rally. The year 2000 saw much of what you would normally expect at the South Dakota city’s famous motorcycle rally. However, Ford also did something unexpected during the big rally. The Blue Oval unveiled a partnership with Harley-Davidson in the form of the 2000 Ford F-150 Harley-Davidson Edition. Now, more than a quarter century later, Ford and Harley-Davidson have had a once-in-a-lifetime relationship, rolling out special edition trucks. But before you ask, not every pickup truck that partners with Ford and HD comes with a motorcycle.

Hyundai and wonder

Would Tony Stark drive a Hyundai?

Iron Man fans who can’t afford an Audi R8 might be in luck. Not because of the depreciation, mind you. Of all the collaborations, it is Hyundai that has created an Iron Man Edition. No kidding. For the 2018 model year, the same year as the theatrical release of “Avengers: Infinity War,” the Korean automaker debuted the Hyundai Kona Iron Man Edition. It was a limited edition, made-to-order version of the Kona SUV, complete with exclusive Iron Man Red paint and logos depicting Iron Man’s helmet. It’s not the only time Hyundai has jumped into the Marvel universe, either. The brand partnered with Marvel Studios to create the Hyundai Veloster in the 2018 film ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’.

BMW and Neiman Marcus

BMW, Neiman Marcus and James Bond – a wild combination

It’s 1995. The world gets its first taste of Pierce Brosnan as 007 in “Goldeneye.” But that wasn’t the only first for the EON James Bond films. It was also the first time Bond rode on screen behind the wheel of a BMW roadster. It was the BMW Z3, ​​the then new two-seater convertible, and an interesting chapter for BMW. Neiman Marcus enters. The department store chain joined forces with the German luxury car brand to produce 50 ‘James Bond Edition’ BMW Z3s. Customers wanted them so badly that the first 50 sold out immediately, prompting BMW to build another 50. Since then, BMW and Neiman Marcus have collaborated on special editions of the BMW 645i, BMW M6 and BMW 750Li.

Bugatti and Champagne Carbon

Bugatti put the cork on a partnership with Champagne Carbon

Okay, so you might not want anyone behind the wheel of an 1,825-horsepower Bugatti hypercar to worry about champagne. At least, not at the same time. Well, that didn’t stop the unashamed brand from collaborating with Champagne Carbon. As a result of the brand pairing, Champagne Carbon released multiple vintages in intricately designed bottles. A wealthy buyer recently purchased Champagne Carbon’s ‘La Bouteille Noire’, a one-of-a-kind 15-liter bottle inspired by the Bugatti La Voiture Noire. And what says excess more than Bugatti? I suppose a four-liter bottle of Bugatti-inspired bubbles might do the trick. Fortunately, Champagne Carbon is quick to remind interested parties to “be responsible” with alcohol and hypercars. Good advice.

Aston Martin and Brough Superior

How about an Aston Martin motorcycle instead of a GT car?

In 2019, Aston Martin once again began creating an “automotive work of art.” Granted, those were Aston Martin’s words, but the brand isn’t exactly known for rolling out unattractive vehicles. This time, however, it wasn’t a sculpted grand tourer or track weapon. No, this time it was a motorcycle born from a collaboration with Brough Superior. The two British companies came together to unveil the AMB 001, a sleek premium motorcycle costing €95,000. However, it is not a cruiser. With a turbocharged 1.0-liter V-twin developing 180 horsepower and a dry weight of less than 400 pounds, the AMB 001 doesn’t trade speed for style. That said, you probably won’t come across one anytime soon; the Aston Martin and Brough Superior collaboration was limited to just 100 units.

Sources: Ford, BMW, Aston Martin, Bugatti, Hagerty