Listen To The OG Honda Ridgeline’s Lead Designer Drop Some Crazy Lore

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In an interview with YouTuber Jack Bontatibus, Don Herner, exterior design lead for the first-generation Honda Ridgeline, described how the pickup took shape inside Honda. Herner said the project began as an “Advanced Capabilities Vehicle,” not a conventional truck, and explained the engineering and design choices behind features including its unibody structure and dual-action tailgate.

Don Herner, the exterior design lead for the first-generation Honda Ridgeline, has recounted how the pickup developed from informal design sketches into a production vehicle in an interview with YouTuber Jack Bontatibus. Herner said Honda initially called the project the “Advanced Capabilities Vehicle”, reflecting an effort that did not start as a conventional truck program. His account helps explain why the 2006-model Ridgeline stood apart from body-on-frame pickups when it arrived.

According to Herner, the Ridgeline and the first-generation Acura RDX began with designers sketching ideas during a quiet period at Honda. A marketing executive saw the truck concepts and began advocating for a production vehicle. Herner said the project was not originally labeled a truck internally, in part because Honda lacked a transmission suited to turning very large wheels and tires.

Designers initially explored oversized wheels, including 32- and 35-inch tires, but Herner said engineering pushed for smaller wheel-and-tire combinations to help maximize torque at the wheels. The production Ridgeline used a 3.5-liter V6 paired with a five-speed automatic transmission. The source report lists output of 255 horsepower and 252 pound-feet of torque, along with a 5,000-pound towing capacity and 1,550-pound payload capacity.

Herner also described decisions aimed at durability. The bed used a fiberglass cargo box, and Honda ran simulations to test how much weight it could take before the rear suspension failed. He said the dual-action tailgate mechanism extended nearly the length of the bed so it could support multiple people. Other practical touches included fold-up rear seats and a storage space between the dashboard and center console.

How the Original Broke Pickup Conventions

The interview offers a designer’s account of why the Ridgeline did not follow the familiar body-on-frame pickup formula. The first generation used a unibody structure based on a modified version of Honda’s then-current Odyssey platform. That choice, and the integrated cab-and-bed styling, made it a different proposition for buyers comparing it with traditional trucks.

Herner’s comments also show how the vehicle’s identity emerged through competing design and engineering priorities. The project’s early sketches could explore oversized tires, but the production design had to meet Honda’s expectations for capability, packaging and durability. For readers interested in the Ridgeline’s history, the account connects its unusual appearance to decisions made during development rather than treating it as styling alone.

The first Ridgeline was also a major step for Honda: it was the automaker’s first production vehicle with a bed and its largest production vehicle at the time, according to the source report. The company had to modify assembly lines to build it. The model established Honda in a segment where it had not previously competed with a pickup.

From Odyssey Platform to Honda Pickup

The first-generation Ridgeline arrived in 2005 as a 2006 model. Its unibody construction and styling, which visually integrated the cab and bed, set it apart from the body-on-frame pickups that defined much of the market. Honda’s approach drew skepticism from some truck buyers, but the model created a distinct place for the company in the pickup category.

The original also included features that outlasted some of its period-specific details. The hidden CD loader is now dated, but fold-up rear seats and the dual-action tailgate remain part of the Ridgeline’s practical identity. The source report says the current generation retains unibody construction and several features associated with the original, though its exterior styling is more conventional.

Herner’s background included work on the third-generation Acura Integra and leadership of the first-generation Acura RDX design, as well as time at Fisker. The report says he joined Honda after graduating from California’s ArtCenter College of Design and interning in General Motors’ Corvette design studio.

“This never really started out to be a truck project per se, because Honda doesn’t make a transmission robust enough to turn gigantic wheels and tires.”

— Don Herner, first-generation Ridgeline exterior design lead, in an interview with Jack Bontatibus

What the Interview Does Not Establish

The interview provides Herner’s recollections of the development process, but the material supplied does not include comments from Honda engineers, executives or other members of the design team to corroborate individual details. It also does not provide the interview’s publication date, a transcript, or further documents explaining how particular engineering choices were approved.

Herner’s mention of a possible Nike collaboration is attributed to him; the source report does not describe a completed partnership or provide independent confirmation of its scope. The material also offers no confirmed timing or specifications for a next-generation Ridgeline. The suggestion that a future model may look more like a conventional truck is not accompanied by an announcement from Honda.

Honda’s Next Ridgeline Remains Unannounced

The immediate development is the publication of Herner’s account of the original model’s design, not an announcement about a new Ridgeline. No future-model date, design details or technical specifications are included in the source material. Any assessment of what Honda may change will have to wait for an official company statement or further reporting.

Readers seeking additional detail can watch the interview with Bontatibus, which the source report identifies as the basis for Herner’s recollections. Until Honda confirms plans for a successor, the current model’s configuration and the possibility of more conventional styling for a future generation remain separate from the confirmed history discussed in the interview.

Key Questions

Who is Don Herner?

Don Herner was the exterior design lead for the first-generation Honda Ridgeline. The source report also credits him with leading design of the first-generation Acura RDX and describes other work at Honda and Fisker.

What was the original Ridgeline called inside Honda?

Herner said the project was called the “Advanced Capabilities Vehicle”, or ACV, internally. He said it did not begin as a conventional truck project.

When did the first-generation Ridgeline arrive?

The first-generation Ridgeline arrived in 2005 as a 2006 model, according to the source report.

What made the original Ridgeline different from traditional pickups?

It used a unibody structure based on a modified Odyssey platform rather than the body-on-frame construction common to many pickups. Its cab and bed also had an integrated appearance, and it included features such as a dual-action tailgate and fold-up rear seats.

Has Honda confirmed a next-generation Ridgeline?

The source material provides no official announcement about a next-generation model, its timing or its design. Comments about a future Ridgeline looking more like a truck are not presented as confirmed Honda plans.

Source: rss