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D.C.’s New Mayor: Energy, Style and Freedom with Bold Moves
You can’t help but notice there’s something different about Washington, D.C.’s new Mayor Adrian Fenty. Fenty has his own style and clearly his own goals and direction for D.C. For starters, he immediately replaced those serving in two of his top cabinet positions – the Chiefs of the Police and the Fire Department. No doubt, bold moves for the youngest elected D.C. Mayor.
With that same mindset, the Automotive Rhythms team set out to come up with a promotion that would reflect the new mayor’s energy, style, and obvious sense of freedom in doing things his way. And what better move than to bring in the bold new Ford Expedition EL and a Harley-Davidson V-ROD customized by Death Row Choppers for our annual “Flip the Mayor’s Whip” promotion.
 Thanks to Apple Ford in Columbia, Maryland, Automotive Rhythms was able to transform a 2007 Onyx Black stretch Expedition to tow the Mayor’s custom Harley. Step into the Expedition EL and you feel appeased. It all starts off with a 5.4-liter Triton V8 with 300-horsepower, 365 pound-feet torque and a new six-speed automatic transmission. Both the front and rear suspensions are independent, allowing the Expedition to move with more agility than a solid axle Sport Ute. Moreover, the Expedition tows 9,200 pounds, more than enough for Fenty’s Harley, gear and equipment. The EL also offers 14.8 more inches and an additional 24 cubic feet of cargo space than the standard Expedition. The Expedition’s “flip” surgery included a new T-Rex grille, 22” chrome spins from Rennen, sport rubber from Hankook, a serious surround system by JL Audio and custom made box to flow with the Expedition’s two-toned leather, chrome door handles and mirror covers, and a chrome exhaust tip from Ford’s accessory unit. The final touch was a light window tint to remain incognito rather than going for the blacked out gangsta look. Big Boys Toys of Oxon Hill, Maryland handled the custom audio and accessory installation chores.
 Harley-Davidson is increasingly looking for creative opportunities to reach out to the urban market. Given this genuine outreach effort, we teamed up with Discovery Channel’s Biker Build-Off custom builder contestant Death Row Choppers (located in Bowie, Maryland) to create a highly customized V-ROD worthy of the new Mayor’s style, image and skill level. For this project, Death Row Choppers took a stock Harley-Davidson V-ROD and went to work! Custom features include an air ride suspension kit, a custom exhaust from CFR, drag bars, custom handle bars and wiring, a mad 280mm fat tire kit, rims by Performance Machine, and an amazing custom midnight black and granny apple green paint scheme, kissed with burnt orange candy flames and combined with a smooth blend of chrome and black polish.
As I mentioned before, there is something remarkably different about Mayor Fenty. During the unveiling, he looked quite natural rockin’ our limited-edition Automotive Rhythms leather bomber jacket and custom made New Era fitted baseball cap.
 “The equation is simple,” said Automotive Rhythms’ President Kimatni Rawlins. “Fenty is young, energetic, innovative and campaigns adamantly for positive change in the community. Harley-Davidson and Ford’s intentions are similar with a mission that stresses continuous outreach to the African-American community. A new mayor, a new bike, a new cause; Fenty is going to love this.”
I couldn’t agree more. This truly is the beginning of a new era in the District of Columbia.
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AR’s President & Publisher Kimatni Rawlins explains the promotion
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Fenty tries on his fresh AR custom leather bomber
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A current owner of a Ford Expedition, Fenty is loving the 2007 EL
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What’s a nice ride without JL Audio rockn’ out
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It’s Urban Restyln’ at its finest
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The Team: Flip The Mayor’s Whip
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