The first generation Ridgeline went on sale in March 2005 as a 2006 model year vehicle. Production of the first generation Ridgeline ended in early 2015. According to Honda, the Ridgeline was not designed to steal sales from the more traditional trucks sold in North America, but was developed to "give the 18% of Honda owners who also own pickups a chance to make their garages a Honda-only parking area."Despite the first generation Ridgeline's poor sales, according to the author of Driving Honda, this mid-size pickup was one of the more profitable vehicles for Honda with reported sales in over 20 countries. According to the author of The Car Design Yearbook, the Ridgeline was "Honda's first foray into the true heartland of the American automotive way of life—the pickup truck. It was designed and engineered by a 37-member engineering team from Honda Research and Development (R&D) Americas, led by Gary Flint. According to the author of Driving Honda, the automaker wanted to target buyers who were looking to transition out of sedans, minivans, and sport utility vehicles (SUV) into pickups. In 2001, the engineering team began experimenting with their first development mule, an extended version of a first generation Acura MDX with a competitor's pickup bed integrated into the rear structure, which they called "the Hondarado. After four years of development, the final design was revealed to the public as Honda's Sport Utility Truck Concept at the 2004 North American International Auto Show. Later that same year, Honda unveiled a revised version of their pickup concept at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show and announced the official name of the vehicle, the Ridgeline.[11] The production version of the Ridgeline was unveiled the following year at the 2005 North American International Auto Show. According to Honda, construction of the production version of the Ridgeline started with a fully boxed "four bone" "ladder-like frame" using 44% high-strength steel and seven high-strength steel crossmembers. This was coupled to "a unique suspension design with custom components," sheetmetal not shared with any other Honda product, and a 95% unique interior. The ladder-like frame, powertrain configuration, and four-wheel independent suspension provided space for designers to build storage solutions in, around, and on top of the frame. Starting at the front of the Ridgeline, engineers stamped a steel hood that supports a cold air intake system for the engine that draws outside air from above and in front of the radiator to support torque production as well as water fording. This hood design also shields the windshield wipers from the environment which are also heated to improve winter performance. Honda also constructed large side-view mirrors to support better visibility while towing; due to their size, Honda incorporated small vortex generators on top of the mirrors to reduce air turbulence. In the crew-cab, the unibody frame allowed for the construction of a cabin with 112 cu ft (3,171 l) of passenger volume and a flat floor (i.e. no transmission hump). At the center of the truck, the C-pillar's buttress was specifically designed to help distribute large loads across the unibody frame and the cab so the truck could achieve its targeted payload and towing figures. Also, the C-pillar, rear roof section, and tailgate were designed to maintain good aerodynamics and reduce turbulence in the bed while maintaining driver visibility. This aerodynamic design helps shield the rear glass window so when it's opened at speed there is no buffeting or rainwater intrusion. The bed is built out of steel-reinforced sheet moulding composite (SMC)—developed by Continental Structural Plastics—which is dent resistant, corrosion resistant, ultraviolet light resistant, has a non-slip coating, and reduces weight by 30% over traditional sheet-metal. The SMC bed is supported by high-strength steel crossmembers (three under the bed and two in the rear cab wall) to safely secure and support heavy loads, even under conditions that would cause the SMC to fail[18] or during collisions that would try to force a load into the cab.