Ford Motor Co. unveiled a customized 2009 Ford Flex designed by Grammy-winning hip-hop star Nelly last week at the annual SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) car show. Held in Las Vegas, it is the largest car show of its kind and draws some of the biggest names in the automotive aftermarket industry.

Nelly's one-of-a-kind customized Flex features a custom blue exterior, 6-spoke 22" wheels, custom design artwork on the roof, Sony amplifier, and a 3D Carbon body kit to name a few of the modifications.

Nelly also replaced the Ford blue oval badge with the FORD nameplate over the grille. "When I look at a new car, the first thing I think are rims, paint, interior and sound," said Nelly. "Those are your four basic groups when you're getting something new. Everything else, you take the risk of devaluing the car."

Hip-hop DJ Funkmaster Flex, who has an ongoing partnership with Ford, oversaw the initial design consultation for the Nelly Ford Flex build. Another design session was held in Detroit with Ford designers a few weeks before SEMA to finalize some of the design details before the vehicle was unveiled at SEMA.

After meeting with Nelly and getting a feel for his taste, Ford designer Melvin Betancourt began working to bring Nelly's vision to life.

"Just from talking with Nelly, we knew that he wanted a custom-color blue car with a white roof, a great sound system, 22-inch wheels, an exhaust system with a little bit of a rumble on it, and a personalized interior," said Betancourt, who worked with Catalyst Industrial Marking Inc. to build the vehicle. "He wanted our input on the other elements of the customization."

The Ford team selected a black Tuscany leather interior with Katzkin seats and contrast blue stitching that picks up the unique exterior color of the car. They also replaced all of the wood grain trim inside the car with the same artwork appliqué featured on the roof.

Nelly became interested in the Ford Flex in Atlanta earlier this year. "They had a bunch of them sitting out at an event, and I was like 'whoa!'" Nelly said. "I was shocked when they told me it was a Ford. I asked them, 'How do I get my hands on one?' I like the uniqueness of it." Nelly says one of the things that really attracts him to the Ford Flex is the vehicle's potential to transcend the generation gap.

"It used to be that parents and kids didn't like the same thing. Families are getting a lot younger, and now it's kind of a friendship between parents and kids," he said. "When you can have a vehicle that both can rock their own way, I think you have something there that's very special."

Usha Raghavachari, Ford's crossover marketing communications manager, attended that event in Atlanta and says she was delighted to see how enthusiastic Nelly was about the Flex. "He is a huge hip-hop star who transcends the traditional audience," said Raghavachari. "The fact that he is attracted to Flex is testament to its head-turning design."

The 2009 Ford Flex, launched earlier this year, represents a new era for Ford with more aggressive styling cues, a sharp departure from previous production designs from the automaker. However, sales figures of the vehicle have not been as high as expected. Initiatives such as the one-of-a-kind customized Flex with Nelly are aimed at bringing more exposure to the vehicle to help increase sales.