Melissa Burden

The Detroit News

General Motors Co.’s Chevrolet brand and Dearborn-based apparel maker Carhartt Inc. have partnered to create the 2017 Silverado HD Carhartt Concept, a truck detailed with Carhartt touches.

The truck will be shown next week at the SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) Show in Las Vegas. Chevrolet will show more than 20 concept vehicles during the massive industry aftermarket accessories and parts show.

The two-toned black truck has a matte paint job along the top of the truck and a shiny paint job for the bottom half. It also has goldish-orange “Carhartt Brown” accent paint and includes Carhartt design elements on the exterior including the Carhartt ‘C’ logo and Silverado written in Carhatt style font on the driver’s door. Nickel finishes similar to Carhartt’s buttons are used on the wheels and even around a blackened Chevy bow tie on the grille.

On the inside, the Carhartt name is featured on the floor mats and the Carhartt logo on the headrests. Carhartt’s duck-brown cloth material is used in part of the seats, armrests and door panel inserts. And the truck bed also features a tonneau cover made from Carhartt material that rolls up.

GM and the Chevy brand say the Silverado and Carhartt stand for the same things: durability and long lasting, said Hugh Milne, senior manager of Silverado marketing and advertising.

“When you think about the two brands and what they represent, but also the customers that purchase them, there’s a lot of passion for the Carhartt brand and the Silverado brand,” he said. “We’re talking to the same people, people who buy the Carhartt stuff or drive our trucks.”

The project took several months to complete and was initiated by Chevrolet. The companies worked together a few years ago on a small photo shoot and Tony Ambroza, senior vice president of marketing for Carhartt, said the automaker reached out with its idea to create the ultimate work truck.

Ambroza said design work was split between the two companies. Carhartt said it was important for the truck to act as a mobile office, including storage for clothes, files and having the ability to charge tools and equipment. He said it also needed to be strong and rugged in look and performance.

“They nailed it,” he said.

There are no plans to sell the truck, but Ambroza said the clothing maker is interested if that changes.

“If Chevy decides to pursue that opportunity, we’re very interested in working with them on that,” he said. “The idea was if people respond to it as well as we hope they will and expect they will, that we’ll have conversations on how we can continue to partner together to bring the ultimate work truck to life.”

Carhartt, known for its durable work clothing, worked with then Chrysler Group LLC (now Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV) on a 2013 Chrysler 200 S special edition. But Ambroza said the clothing company has not worked on a truck project before.

The Silverado Carhartt Concept will be shown by Chevy at the Los Angeles Auto Show and is slated to be shown at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The truck was shown Monday to the media at Carhartt’s Detroit retail store in Midtown.

mburden@detroitnews.com

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