Ford reins in F-150 order combinations.

Byline: Amy Wilson

Ford Motor Co. has come a long way from "You can have any color as long as it's black.''

The 2009 Ford F-150 pickup can be ordered in nearly 10 million combinations of trim series, colors, engines, body styles and options. It seems a staggering number but it represents substantial progress.

The 2008 F-150 could be ordered in billions of combinations. That's not a typo: Billions.

With the input of dealers, Ford said it reduced the ordering complexity of the 2009 F-150 by more than 90 percent. Company executives declined to disclose exact numbers, but it approaches an estimated 99 percent reduction in possible combinations.

The F-150 is part of a bigger effort to reduce …