There is glitz, gleam and endless oohs and ahhs expected from the miles of metal on display at the North American International Auto Show. Ford Motor Co. knows how to seed an audience. Either that or professional bull riders and monster truck drivers really do get Elvis-like squeals of delight from a room supposedly packed with automotive journalists.I guess I should have known what was coming when the disembodied voice on the public address system warned, “Please be aware that today’s press conference includes strobe lights and pyrotechnicals.”

Theater aside, Ford made a splash this morning. The F-150, Ford’s best-selling product and the country’s best selling truck for the past 31 years, will get a makeover late this year.

And it’s an exercise in opposites. Ford says the new truck will have the best towing, power and capability it’s ever produced in the F-150. And it will have an ultra-premium edition even more plush than the King Ranch version. For those latte-sipping fake cowboys, the platinum edition offers limo-quality leather seats, a Best Buy’s worth of electronic gadgets and enough bells and whistles to equip a mid-sized circus.

Need more oxymorons? Ford Chairman Bill Ford discussed the company’s needs to address fuel economy and the environmental impact of his company’s cars, pledging to be a big part of the world’s solution to global warming concerns. And the new F-150 has an all V-8 lineup. The company promises it will get a high-tech V-6 … by 2010.

All that said, it’s clear that Ford knows its truck customers. From the 2005 F-Series Super Duty line, the F-150 will get a factory-installed trailer-brake controller. For those of you who don’t tow, that system will extend the truck’s anti-lock braking system to the trailer, help drivers avoid the sometimes deadly sway that occurs at high speeds and generally will make the towing vehicles safer.

Other innovations include a step on the side of the bed, making it easier for truck owners to put an item or two in without climbing all of the way in. For those who need to get into the bed, the new F-150 has the integrated tailgate step that Ford debuted last year on its Super Duty trucks.

Not the be outdone on the theatrical side, Chrysler showed off a new version of its Ram pickup by stampeding a few cows down Jefferson Ave. in front of Cobo Hall. The geniuses in the company’s public relations department thought an outdoor event in Detroit in January was a good idea. I’m watching from the comfort of a video lounge indoors.