Many people collect mementos from their favorite celebrities. But how many choose to drive around with a celebrity’s signature on the side of their truck? It’s a phenomenon that’s rarely seen anymore, and this F-150 is one of the best examples of its kind – a special edition marketed by a local dealer coalition in coordination with a celebrity. In this case, these trucks were sold by Washington, D.C. area Ford dealers, painted in Washington Redskins burgundy and gold, and with fullback John Riggins’ signature prominently on the side.
Redskins fans know that the team’s fight song, “Hail to the Redskins” ended with the lyrics “Fight for Old D.C.” This F-150 is itself a tribute to old times; one could say it’s a Truck for Old D.C.
Celebrity special edition cars have taken many forms over the years. Fashion designer special editions were the most plentiful, though the designer usually had a hand in the car’s appearance. Lincoln was a major purveyor of such vehicles; eventually Bill Blass became almost as recognizable for his Lincolns as for his clothing styles.
Race drivers were another source of celebrity car promotions. NASCAR lent itself particularly well to this type of collaboration. For example, Chevrolet’s 2002 Monte Carlo SS Dale Earnhardt Signature Edition proved successful enough that Chevy sold three other NASCAR special editions in the succeeding years.
Most intriguing, though, are celebrity special editions where the celebrity wasn’t in the automotive or design fields. Chrysler partnered with Frank Sinatra to offer an “Imperial FS” in 1981-82. Though Sinatra played a significant role in his namesake car’s marketing, the blue Imperial hardly screamed out its association with Ol’ Blue Eyes. Outside, only subtle “fs” badging distinguished this Imperial, while on the inside Sinatra’s signature adorned a console bin that Chrysler stocked with 16 Sinatra cassettes.
Slightly less subtle was Lincoln’s early 1990s Jack Nicklaus Signature Series Town Car. With distinctive Jewel Green paint and white leather upholstery, this car displayed Nicklaus’ signature and Golden Bear logo on the car’s front fender. Both the Sinatra and Nicklaus examples were factory-sponsored celebrity special editions – however another source of such cars were local dealer organizations.
Dealer groups often partnered with local celebrities such as pro athletes. Football players were especially coveted as car and truck pitchmen. Above is Green Bay Packers defensive end Reggie White and his wife Sara serving as Ford promoters for Packerland Ford dealers.
Those dealers upped the ante in 1997, providing customers with a “Reggie White Signature Edition” Ranger. The above webfind shows one of the few surviving examples. Though tough to tell from this photo, these Rangers were sold in green(ish) paint and gold stripe decals – roughly Packers colors.
Such a playbook of pro athlete commercials and regional special editions wasn’t completely unique. In fact, our featured truck had been born under similar circumstances, though a decade earlier. One reason I was excited about the Riggins F-150 at a local car show was that these types of athlete special editions have largely sunk into the historical memory hole. Marketed only on a regional level, advertised mostly in newspapers, and never officially tracked, it’s mighty tough to find information (let alone extant examples) of any of these vehicles. A look at this special edition and its namesake celebrity is in order.
For those not familiar with John Riggins, he was a pro football player in the 1970s and ’80s. The Kansas native began his career with the New York Jets in 1971, and after five seasons signed with the Washington Redskins. In joining the Redskins, Riggins was impressed by the team’s coach and that (unlike the Jets) the Redskins had a winning record. Riggins quickly became a fan favorite, both due to his on-field success and his outgoing personality. He could run through a defensive line like a tractor-trailer, which earned him the nickname of “Diesel.”
In addition to being a star football player, Riggins made numerous local commercials, and by the 1980s was a spokesman for the Washington region’s association of Ford dealers. Incidentally, the Redskins were colloquially known as the “Hogs” – which is why Riggins mentions at the end of this Thunderbird commercial that “sometimes I just don’t feel like associating with hogs…”
…and also explains this F-150 poster.
Riggins was on top of his game by the mid 1980s, and so was the Ford F-150, selling well over 300,000 examples annually. With many truck owners aspiring to distinguish themselves from hundreds of thousands of similar models plying North America’s roads, special edition trucks held particular appeal. While manufacturers themselves made countless pickup variations, so did dealers. The urge to apply graphics and accessories proved awfully alluring.
Information on this truck series is sparse, but it appears that it was marketed through Washington Area Ford Dealers, a coalition of about 100 dealers in the District of Columbia, Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia and south-central Pennsylvania.
The Riggins trucks appear to have been offered in various configurations. Our featured truck is an F-150 XL, though regardless of the series or drivetrain, these trucks shared a common appearance.
From the front, this looks like any other mid-1980s F-150. Known as the Bullnose, this F-series generation, made between 1980 and 1986, provided truck buyers with contemporary styling and an increasingly comfortable ride. This particular truck features a chrome bumper and grille, giving an almost sophisticated front profile. Seeing any 40-year old pickup in good original condition is quite a treat, so when I first saw this one, I took a closer look.
In glancing it over, I saw the Riggins Signature Series label. That got my attention – could this be a rare example of a regional special edition? John Riggins’ name rang a bell, and that’s when I made the connection to the burgundy and gold coloring – Redskins team colors.
Most likely the paint is either Dark Canyon Red or Medium Canyon Red – either way, it’s close enough to Redskins burgundy to have passed muster with fans. Washington Area Ford Dealers added the crowning touch with gold accents, replicating the team colors fairly accurately. In this case, gold side stripes, gold tailgate lettering, and distinctive gold wheels made the Redskins connection undeniable. The wheels themselves were not from a Ford parts bin, but appear to be aftermarket wheels fitted specially to these Riggins trucks.
Of course a Signature Edition would be a misnomer without a signature, and Mr. Riggins’ autograph graces each side of the truck, just forward of the tail lights.
The tan interior is standard F-150 XL fare – which was a nice truck environs for the day. However, I was surprised not to see a dashboard plaque or signature panel somewhere inside.
As the mid-range model (between the standard truck and the XLT Lariat), the XL included woodgrain trim and upgraded upholstery. This example features a knitted vinyl seat, though cloth was also available. Our featured truck has an interesting array of options, with air conditioning, cruise control, and an auxiliary fuel tank, yet the truck has only the standard AM radio, and does not have the optional sliding rear window. As for a drivetrain, this 4×2 truck came equipped with the optional 5.0-liter V-8 and automatic transmission.
A tailgate sticker indicates this truck was sold by Rick Hunt Ford in Warrenton, Virginia. That’s appropriate, since Mr. Hunt himself was among the region’s most notable Redskin fans. And not just a fan, Hunt had previously worked for the Redskins organization and for a radio station as a football statistician.
Hunt undoubtedly sold quite a few of these Riggins Signature Series trucks. In fact, the truck shown in this ad appears identical to our featured truck (side rails and all), and not only that, but shoppers on that November Saturday could meet Mr. Riggins himself.
It’s unclear how many Riggins Signature Series trucks were sold, but I’d guess that each dealer in the region received at least one, so likely a few hundred made it to Redskins fans’ driveways. To the ’Skins faithful, the Riggins trucks likely achieved instant collector status, as Riggins himself retired in 1986, after ten seasons with the team.
After a while though, these trucks faded into obscurity, and like most older pickups, their survival rate was low. Occasionally one turns up, often in a condition like this one recently listed for sale in Maryland. Our featured truck is undoubtedly one of the best examples still plying the roads.
In his decade of playing for Washington, Riggins became a legend, inextricably linked to both his team and the greater DC region. Fans still talk about Riggins fondly, in a manner that’s only earned by years of on-field success combined with a likeable personality. While football fans are still rabid about their teams, few athletes attain the type of enduring respect that Riggins achieved. There are many reasons for this, but consumers are undoubtedly less likely now to buy something like a vehicle emblazoned with their favorite athlete’s signature.
With a brief tenure and limited sales, this signature edition truck probably didn’t make it onto Washington Ford dealers’ MVP list. However, this truck is a wonderful time capsule, not just of 1980s truck life, but also football fandom from a bygone era. I hope this F-150 drives for Old D.C. well into the future.
Photographed at the Labor Day Car Show in Fairfax, Virginia in September 2024.
That’s a nice F-150 in a very good color. That particular shade of red is close to the red found on parts of my father’s long-gone F-150. It was a red/silver two-tone and I’ve never seen another painted like it.
A year ago I made a work trip to Loveland, Colorado, north of Denver and close to Fort Collins. It was a large convention / workshop and there was a featured speaker the last day. While everyone was all excited with their ooh-ing and ahh-ing, I kept asking my cohorts who in the world this Karl Mecklenberg guy was…only to receive nearly blank stares. How was I supposed to know he was a retired quarterback with the Denver Broncos? I had to Google him while he was speaking. He was a good speaker but that shows my involvement with professional sports of any variety.
I wouldn’t have recognized Karl Mecklenberg’s name either. I used to follow football and some other sports quite a bit, but haven’t now for years. Just doesn’t seem as fun as it used to be, plus ticket prices have just made in not worthwhile to see games in person.
Rare example of a great era for Ford pickups: solid, durable, well built, and still employing relatively simple technology. Excellent choice for a workhorse beater truck if you can find one…kinda like Paul’s ’66.
Excellent topic. As a kid, I was fascinated by “celebrity series” car lines. The Continentals were most notable (perhaps because they were so heavily advertised in Time, Newsweek, and the other grown-up magazines that came weekly to our house). At the same time, while I definitely knew the names Bill Blass and Cartier, I would have been hard-pressed to tell you what these people/companies were beyond something that was attached to a car.
John Riggins is definitely “Old D.C.” to me. Even for a non football fan like me, he – and the ‘skins, Redskins, Hogs, more broadly – were pretty much impossible to escape back then. I had uncles who were HUGE fans and had to endure endless game watching and football talk whenever the family would gather. In elementary school and Jr. High, the rare kid who stood up for Dallas was certain to be beat to a pulp on the playground. It was just the way it was (and all the more reason why I never took to football).
Anyhow, I didn’t know that Riggins had a signature edition truck, although I guess it’s not surprising. Nice-looking truck. And I guess Riggins is still around and actually lives within walking/biking distance of the house where I grew up. Thanks for the memories!
The “Redskins” were a very good team in the 80’s. Even though I am a 49er fan, in San Francisco, I was very much aware of them and Riggins. Back then it was the Niners, the Bears, the Giants, and the Redskins dueling for the NFC representative to the Super Bowl.
Celebrity series cars are fascinating, particularly examples like this where the celebrity’s name is relatively prominent. It sure seems to me that these sorts of special editions have fallen out of favor. On the sports front, increased free agency means that star players are less likely to stick with one team for a long period. Plus, for celebrities in general, a seemingly endless wave of scandals and controversies have probably made companies (and customers) a bit skittish about big durable goods like cars affixed with a person’s name.
But I’m glad these were built, because it’s awfully fun to admire them now.
Nowadays the DC area is so transient, it seems like most people are fans of other area’s sports teams. I doubt that kids who wear Cowboys gear get harrassed much around here any more.
You raise the question that I was actually wondering and forgot to mention in my comment…and that’s why modern celebrity series models really don’t happen any longer.
It could be related to scandals and such, but I’d suggest that it’s perhaps about how many buyers in the 20 – 40 year old demographic just aren’t as interested in things like cars as they once were. We still have scads of “celebrities” trying to sell stuff (we call these “influencers” now, right?), but not so much big stuff like cars. Perhaps Tesla comes closest with the Cybertruck, but Elon seems to be kind of beyond needing to put his name on it. And besides, anyone who wants one pretty much knows it’s all about him. He doesn’t need to create a special “Elon Musk” series.
I love these regional special editions! I especially love that this one has (at least so far) escaped the ordinary life cycle of regularly used cars and trucks.
I am only a casual (at best) football fan, and never followed the Redskins, so this is my first time hearing about John Riggins.
These bullnose Fords are getting scarce in my area. It is the 1987-96 version that seems to be much more common.
That’s a new one for me, especially since my sports knowledge is quite limited.
A very nice looking truck. As a Ford fan I like to see well preserved survivors like this. I often see very clean preserved older trucks like this on the road. These are usually driven by their original owners who are now in their retirement years. They have always kept the truck in the garage, and it shows.
I wonder what the price premium was for a F150 XL with the Riggins signature versus a plain/unsigned XL?
I was glad to see from Wikipedia that John is alive and well, living in Maryland.
I’d love to know what was Window Sticker premium for the Riggins Signature Series – I wasn’t able to dig that up. And also, if the demand was strong enough that dealers sold these for the full markup.
I would have had to look John Riggins up too although I still had a passing interest in football in the 80s. We have some regional editions in the PNW although I can’t think of any celebrity ones. R-Pod trailers are the Hood River Edition after the windsurfing Mecca in the Gorge and I recall some decaled up Subarus.
The Reggie White edition Ford Ranger is probably Cayman Green like our 93 Ranger XLT. This was the more conservative of Ford’s 90s greens since we also had a Calypso Green Escort at the same time.
I have driven this generation of Ford pickup and an XLT with the bordello red interior and a Super Cab with opera windows was peak Brougham pickup. Personally I prefer the later waterfall nose or aero headlight generations with the more modern dash and fuel injection.
Cool Truck!
If you have spent any time in DC over the last 10-15 years John Riggins has a pretty large presence on sports- radio and TV, as DC is/was pretty crazy about The Washington Football Team.
WHO? We didnt get the pickups never mind some signed by a nobody