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through tonight.Chuck Gaidica’s forecast, 8B

38 30HIGH LOW

Entertainment ...........1FFree Press Editorials ................1CDetroit NewsEditorials ................6C

Deaths ...................6BGrowing in Michigan 7EHoroscope ...............6JLocal News ...............1BLife.........................1J

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INDEXVol. 177, No. 254© 2008Detroit Free Press Inc.Printed in the U.S.

$1.50 WWW.FREEP.COM AN EDITION OF THE DETROIT FREE PRESS JAN. 13, 2008 METRO EDITION

ON GUARD FOR 176 YEARS

to preserve Ford’s truck title ever since.For the past four years, O’Leary, now 52, has led more

than a thousand engineers, designers and researchersworking on Ford’s classified truck program, code-namedP415, for the all-new 2009 F-150.

Today, that truck will be presented at Detroit’s NorthAmerican International Auto Show — and it won’t just de-termine whether Ford continues its 31-year legacy as Amer-ica’s best-selling truck.

This new F-150 is crucial to the future of the automakeras it struggles to return to profitability, as well as to Michi-gan. The truck is built by thousands of UAW Local 600members at Dearborn Truck Plant, in addition to those at asecond assembly plant in Kansas City.

“If this doesn’t stay the leader that it’s been, then Ford isin big trouble, simple as that,” Mark Williams, editor of

F-150FIGHTS TO KEEP ITS CROWN

THE NEW FORDEXCLUSIVE

FIRSTLOOK! America’s

top-sellingtruck seriesfaces toughcompetition inits 60th year.Go behind thescenes to seehow Ford plansto keep itspickup No. 1.

AMY LEANG/Detroit Free Press

The 2009 Ford F-150 is to reach showrooms in the fall. Among the details: extra length in thecabin with a flat-load floor in the second-row, electronic trailer sway control, an ultra-luxuryPlatinum edition and a 5.4-liter, 3-valve Triton V8 capable of running on ethanol.

See thenew F-150Seven videoscapture the lovemen have fortrucks; the battlefor U.S. truckbuyers, and anexclusive look atthe F-150 story,from birth tolaunch.

2008 NorthAmericanInternationalAuto ShowSee dozens ofimages from GMStyle. And checkfreep.com dailyfor the latestnews and vehicleunveilings!

More on 11A� Texas tops withtrucks; see otherstate rankings.� Details on F-150

By SARAH A. WEBSTER

FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER

Matt O’Leary has never known aday at Ford Motor Co. when theF-Series pickup wasn’t No. 1.

The working class kid from north-west Detroit started his engineering jobat Ford in 1978, the year after the truckline reclaimed the title as the best-sell-ing truck in America. He’s been helping

TOP: The tailgate step.MIDDLE: Wood accents inthe Platinum. ABOVE: the Platinum’sinstrument panel.

See FORD F-150, 10A

Republican primary voterswhose greatest concern is theeconomy could give BloomfieldHills native Mitt Romney hisfirst major state victory inTuesday’s Michigan presiden-tial primary, according to theDetroit Free Press-Local 4Michigan Poll.

Romney leads JohnMcCain, 27%-22%, with MikeHuckabee in third at 16%, thepoll showed. Romney’s core ofsupport is in metro Detroit,where he has a 2-1 advantage.

Of the 40% who named theeconomy as their top concern,Romney had a 42%-25% advan-tage over McCain. McCain

wins by about the same marginover Romney among the 24%of Republican voters whosetop issue is the Iraq war.

But Romney’s lead couldevaporate, depending on howtentative, undecided and un-committed voters lean overthe next two days. About 38%of voters who had a favorite

ELECTION 2008MICHIGAN PRIMARY

Romneyis top pickfor GOP,poll showsMcCain close 2nd,but much rests onundecided voters

By CHRIS CHRISTOFF

FREE PRESS LANSING BUREAU CHIEFCOPYRIGHT 2008 DETROIT FREE PRESS

THE MICHIGAN POLL

Mitt Romney leadsJohn McCain, 27%-22%, among likelyvoters in Tuesday’sMichigan Repub-lican primary, thepoll shows.

� Poll shows Clinton cruising inDemocratic primary. 15A

See POLL, 15A

A sense of urgency envel-oped three Republican presi-dential campaigns Saturday asMitt Romney, John McCainand Mike Huckabee reachedout to as many voters as possi-ble to ensure a victory in Tues-day’s primary.

Romney, a Michigan nativeand former governor of Massa-chusetts, added several eventsto his campaign schedule, in-cluding a stop outside a Gener-

al Motors plant in Ypsilanti,where another layoff was an-nounced this week.

Arizona senator McCaincontinued to emphasize hisreputation as a straight talker,even if some of his messagesare difficult truths to hear.

And Huckabee, the formerArkansas governor, spent hislast day in the state burnishinghis everyman image with a ral-

GOP makes a maddash for state voters2 cheered; 1 hearscatcalls at rally

By KATHLEEN GRAY,

TODD SPANGLER

and DAWSON BELL

FREE PRESS STAFF WRITERS

See ELECTION, 14A

In On Point: Comparecandidates on issuesThe two-page grid details eachcandidate’s stand on 11 issues.� Brian Dickerson on why he’llvote they way he’ll vote. 2B

2 0 0 8 D E T R O I T A U T O S H O W

Truck’s makeovercrucial to Chrysler

Mark Phelanreveals today’stop debuts

SPECIAL COVERAGE, SECTION ESPECIAL AUTO ISSUE OF TWIST

(with your ad inserts)

CRUISECONTROLFive women share howrides reflect their lives

RAM REVAMP