There is no fairness in this world, only a collective allowance for a generalized unfairness. The Honda Ridgeline is a truck I’ve long enjoyed driving. It’s neither too big nor too small. It handles well and provides good visibility. For the size, it’s relatively efficient. Honda has to stop building for emissions at the same time that Ram is bringing back a bunch of V8-powered trucks.
What’s the deal? I’ll use The Morning Dump to explore this bit of what may seem like unfairness. Volvo has been on the bad end of a lot of sudden government policy changes its leadership probably views as unfair, so it’s a relief that the automaker will at least get some allowance to sell cars in spite of its Chinese ownership. This is less of an issue in Europe, where Chinese automakers continue to grow at a rapid pace.
That’s all heavy, so I want to end on one of the best-looking Ford GT40s I’ve ever seen, which is for sale.
Not Everyone Is Free Of The Consequences Of California Emissions
This should go without saying, but as a truck-pilled Texan I am quite glad to see the return of the V8 across the Ram lineup. That’s not a slight against the Hurricane Six, it’s just that I think people should have the choice of a loud, fun, capable V8.
People also should have the choice of a V6-powered Honda Ridgeline, which for the vast majority of people is probably the more sensible option. I’ve put a ton of miles on Ridgelines and I’ve always liked them. These are basically unibody/truck versions of the same platform that underpins the Pilot and Passport, albeit with the older version of the engine and a different transmission. You get the advantage of a bed in a vehicle that’s way more crossover-feeling and comfortable. Given my general thriftiness, the more affordable Maverick does something similar for a much lower price, but the Ridgeline has its specific charms as well.
Because the world is a zany and contradictory place, Ram is able to sell both the Hemi V8-powered Ram 1500 and the new Hellcat-powered Rumble Bee, as well as the supercharged Ram TRX. The TRX and Hemi V8 1500 are for sale now, and the Rumble Bee is eventually coming. You know what’s reportedly going to go away for a while? The Ridgeline.
By comparison, the current inline-six RHO gets 15 MPG combined, the TRX gets 12 MPG combined, and the Ridgeline gets 21 MPG. I’m sure the Rumble Bee will get something like 0.00008 MPG the way I’d drive it. While this isn’t an exact 1-for-1 for emissions, this basically tracks with the greenhouse gas emissions of each. So would you believe that the Ridgeline is the truck that’s going away for emissions reasons? What’s happening here?
Honda is the most California of automakers and sells a lot of vehicles in the state. It’s also one of a half dozen automakers that had to make individual deals with the California Air Resources Board over its past emissions violations. While the Trump Administration has pulled the penalties for violating fuel economy regulations at the national level and is also trying to remove California’s ability to set its own standards, the existing deals these automakers made with the State of California remain in place.
According to Automotive News, quoting “people with knowledge of the [Ridgeline] plan,” the current V6 in the Ridgeline wouldn’t meet emissions regulations, so it’s going on hiatus while the company retools to create a highly refreshed version to holdover until the new, larger hybrid architecture arrives:
Honda is one of six automakers still obligated to improve vehicle efficiency under California rules through the 2026 model year despite the Trump administration’s moves to reduce environmental regulations.
[…]
The Ridgeline’s impending hiatus stems from Honda’s strategic pivot away from an ambitious electric vehicle strategy.
Debate over the Ridgeline’s future direction, combined with heavy resources previously dedicated to EV development, contributed to the need for an 18-month production gap, one of the people said.
Supplier-related constraints further complicated Honda’s ability to maintain continuous production during the transition to an updated model.
The story goes on to say that Pilot and Passport production should increase to make up for the loss of Ridgeline inventory.
Honda hasn’t confirmed the reporting, but also hasn’t denied it. So what about Ram? Curiously, Stellantis is also one of the automakers who has a deal with the California Air Resources Board. Its deal runs through MY2026 as well, and many of these new, high-performance trucks are 2027 or later, so that’s possibly a way the company gets around the deal. Plus, Ram could easily not sell in California and be happy shoveling trucks to other states, whereas that’s a harder pill to swallow for Honda. Plus, the Ridgeline isn’t a huge seller in general, so it just doesn’t make sense.
Volvo Can Sell Cars With Chinese-Developed Software In The United States
Volvo is very much a Chinese-owned company under Geely ownership, and one area where Volvo seems to hope to compete is on software. Concerned about security and industrial policy, the Biden Administration basically knocked down all Chinese-built cars. While that policy remains in place, the government can give waivers to automakers and a case-by-case basis, which is what seems to have happened with Volvo.
Volvo Cars has been granted a specific authorization from the Office of Information and Communications Technology and Services under the “Securing the Information and Communications Technology and Services Supply Chain: Connected Vehicles” rule in the United States.
Under the rule Volvo Car USA was required to follow a process with the US Department of Commerce to obtain a specific authorization for the continued import and sale of connected cars in the US. The process is carried out on a case-by-case basis and the issuance of a specific authorization follows constructive discussions with the US Department of Commerce and other US officials regarding Volvo Cars’ governance, technology and data security.
Reading between the lines, Volvo’s CEO last week told The Autopian that both the XC60 and a three-row vehicle was going to get produced in South Carolina. This administration is big on investment in the US, so you can imagine how that conversation went.
European Car Sales Rise 4.2% As Chinese Automakers, Hybrids Soar
Even with higher fuel prices, the EU saw a 4.2% year-over-year rise in car sales, led by hybrids and Chinese automakers. According to the ACEA, new EU car registrations were 38.2% hybrid, 22.5% gas, 19.7% BEV, 9.6% PHEV, and just 7.7% diesel. Nearly every major automaker was either positive or, at least, low single-digit negative.
The fastest growing automakers were almost all Chinese, with Geely growing 9.1% and supplanting Ford on the list of the ten largest in Europe (EU + UK + EFTA). SAIC grew by 35.3%, BYD by 114.5%, and Chery by 323.3%. Leapmotor was up by a whopping 403.7%.
For traditional-ish automakers, Tesla finally saw a bump by 46.5% year-over-year, but the company was in the middle of transitioning to a new Model Y last year and otherwise had an awful 2025 as Europeans decided they didn’t want to deal with CEO Elon Musk’s nonsense. I’ll be watching sales in June to see how much has changed for the American automaker.
Maybe The Prettiest GT40 Ever Built Is Up For Sale
Things I am a sucker for:
- Le Mans anything
- Ford GT40s
- Soft greens
- Items related to race car driver Innes Ireland
This 1965 Ford GT40, for sale by Broad Arrow Private Sales, is basically the perfect mix of all of these proclivities.
Chassis P1006 was one of 56 GT40 MK. 1 racing cars produced for the 1965 World Sportscar Championship. It was delivered new in June 1965 to Ford Advanced Vehicles finished in Linden Green with white stripes and as the first car to sport the MK. 1 front panel, the distinct “Le Mans” nose featured in some way on all subsequent GT models. One of six GT40s in Ford’s lineup at the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans, P1006 was piloted by 1961 U.S Formula One Grand Prix winner Innes Ireland and 1961 British Touring Car Championship winner Sir John Whitmore, who managed the tenth fastest time in practice.
The 1965 race was sort of a disaster for Ford, and set into motion a lot of what you see in the Ford v Ferrari film. Who cares? This car, in Linden Green (Tree Green), is phenomenal. I named my black, super basic stickshift Ford Escort “Innes” after the racecar driver (who is actually Scottish) so, given a few extra million dollars sitting around, I’d definitely consider this.
What I’m Listening To While Writing TMD
Given enough time, I may do every song from the new Kacey Musgraves album here, but for the moment let’s enjoy “Dry Spell” and the equally enjoyable, quietly hilarious video that goes along with it.
The Big Question
What’s your favorite non-body-on-frame truck?
Top shot: Stellantis/Honda
“That’s all heavy”
“There’s that word again. “Heavy.” Why are things so heavy in the future? Is there a problem with the Earth’s gravitational pull?”
Newer: I do like the Ridgeline since it has that awesome trunk in the bed and is a reliable Honda w/ better MPG
Classic: VW Rabbit truck
TBQ: Tamiya Lunchbox
The Chevy Corvair Rampside is a wonderful non body on frame truck AND shares taillights with that GT40.
My grandfather would just remove the trunklid on sedans to carry shovels and occasionally a newborn heifer or a sack of feed. The Buick roadmasters were body on frame, but I think the Mercedes-Benz W110 diesels had no frame, and they made nice trucks.
I wouldn’t kick a Subaru Brst out of my garage.
Doesn’t Nic Periton have a Bentley V truck? That sounds nice.
Google Bentley V truck and there is a hilarious genre of videos comparing Bentleys to trucks. Who knew that was a thing?
Nearly 70% of EU sales being hybrid or some form of electric is pretty remarkable. That’s a universally good thing for air quality in cities and overall energy use.
As BEV share is still increasing, it seems hybrids are taking over gasoline/diesel sales as opposed to cannibalizing BEV sales.
As the share of pure gasoline/diesel disappears, it’ll be interesting to see how the hybrid/BEV share evolves.
The VW Rabbit pickup, aka Caddy.
That GT40 is lovely.
Dodge Rampage.
By my definition of a truck anything not on a frame is strictly speaking not a truck. The Ridgeline is just a Truncated SUV to me. but that is not necessarily a bad thing if it suits your purposes for owning one.
out of the 4 that I can think of that would qualify as a Pickup Truck to some and also be unibody, only the 61 F100 is interesting to me.
What is the average transaction price for those cars sold in Europe? Are the Chinese products bringing the average prices down?
They are, but probably not as much as you think. They undercut European rivals but not dramatically.
This is like when GM stopped making the 30mpg 3800 V6 in favor of the 25mpg 3.6 V6 due to emissions. And because they tgought dealer service techs were slacking on the job and needed something to keep busy
Glad the donation to the Trump Ballroom cleared. Good on them.
ridgeline has to shut down and monster v 8 ram reappears. well this will happen with the % of lawyers in lawmaking and an utter dearth of engineers.
again with the Right armpit state pushing the CARB agenda. 21 is actually pretty low for a Honda anything, and no telling how old the design is of the motor I suppose.
Tonka
Great looking GT40.
TBQ: I have tried, but just don’t like driving the Ridgeline, 1st or 2nd gen doesn’t matter, something about the ergonomics just don’t fit me well (6’1″ 240lbs, short legs and long torso), although they have a better v6 than the Tacoma. I like the Maverick and have tried to convince my wife to make that her next daily, but idk how I feel about modern Ford build quality.
Also if we are allowing the Holden Maloo in the conversation it wins hands down, I haven’t driven one, but I drove the GTO with a 6spd and that is a fun car, a little truck bed would make it a great daily for me.
Best non-body on frame truck? I’m going to go with the VW Type 2 trucks. Available in single and double cab configuration. The bed sides all drop down, and there’s storage under the bed as well. VW buses are quite good off road (look up some videos), especially earlier models fitted with reduction boxes. Rear engine/RWD means lots of traction in the snow or mud or whatever. They were so good that the trucks, along with the cargo versions, prompted the Chicken Tax.
Good luck finding an affordable one these days.
I’ve got a 63 crewcab and it’s not a DD by any means.
The drop down sides on the bed are fantastic and I don’t understand why the full size trucks built today don’t offer that option.
No more climbing in the back to move stuff towards the tail gate,just drop a side and it’s easily reachable then.
These things are available used, but I’m not sure how you buy one new
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/listing/437064965
I wish they made the same thing on the smaller transit connect.
Definitely the VW Type 2 truck, followed by the VW Rabbit pickup. In the mid-’60s my geologist older brother had a Type 2 bus that he would routinely drive up nasty 2-track roads in the High Sierras to 10,000 feet in what is now wilderness, to do field work for his graduate degree. Very slowly. And then back down full of rock samples, which was easier.
the GM copycat Corvair rampside trucks were interesting to me because of the side gate that dropped to the ground. https://stories.hemmings.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/image-18783.jpg
My favorite non body on frame trucks are probably all modified cuvs. The kits for tdis cars are nice too as well as the kit for the charger.
My favorite production unibody truck is probably the Radar R6. I can’t figure out why Geely doesn’t build a version in the US.
I never cared much for the Ridgeline except when they are dirt cheap it’s sort of interesting. Im interested in the hybrid maverick but between the price increases and modem Ford reliability its no. I really liked the original idea and the only real faults I see are Ford in general. Santa Cruz has been over priced from the start as well as cybertruck but it has tons of other issues.
It seems like Honda can just not sell the Ridgeline in California if that makes sense for them. California would be told to pack sand if they tried to fine them for selling nationally. In with the current admin and courts. But it’s probably not worth it. It never appeared as huge seller in most of the country. They really should have had a hybrid for a while. They might as well start selling their ev kei cars and vans in California they have a chance at doing ok.
“What’s your favorite non-body-on-frame truck?”
VW DoKa
As for the GT40, now THAT’s what a Ferrari looks like! /s
Best non-BOF truck?
Can I stretch the definition and say ute? Holden Ute or Ford Falcon Ute.
I’ll allow it.
I don’t think that stretches the definition much at all. The Holden Ute’s payload capacity isn’t much lower than a Maverick and it has a longer bed.
Now that you reminded me Holden exists, I’m changing my favorite unibody truck to the Holden Maloo. I once considered taking a job in Australia just so I would have a chance to buy one of these things.
This is a good answer.
This.
https://images-stag.jazelc.com/uploads/theautopian-m2en/shelbyrampagetop.jpg
TBQ:Ridgeline of course, I’m on my second and am very happy with it. It fits my needs perfectly. The Maverick would have been a strong contender, I think, if I had been able to even find one to test drive at the time (late ’23).
I get about 22mpg over all. After putting on a bed cover, we drove 800 miles east with a tailwind. Got mid 26’s. Coming home was a different matter.
As for the bed length, I’ve carried 4×8 sheet goods many times with no problem. If it’s something not too rigid, like drywall, I bring 2 eight foot 2×4’s and load on top of them. Best thing about the bed length is that the truck fits in my garage by about 6″.
They are great trucks and I look forward to the new engine/transmission combo.
I have a ’19 Black Edition, and it’s great. The under bed storage is genius and allows us to fit so much more stuff in there on road trips.
The Odyssey and Pilot pass but the Ridgeline doesn’t? How?
Based on the article, it looks like the Odyssey and Pilot have a newer engine/transmission combination than the Ridgeline that satisfies CARB requirements while the Ridgeline’s does not.
Regarding Honda and the Ridgeline “going on hiatus while the company retools to create a highly refreshed version to holdover until the new, larger hybrid architecture arrives”
Honestly, management at Honda should have had the foresight to at least get a hybrid powertrain into production for their larger vehicles years ago.
What the hell is taking them so long to offer a powertrain technology that has been around in volume for over 20 years?
As for how Ram can sell those gas guzzling trucks… well those trucks cost a lot more and have a lot more profit margin… making them profitable even in the face of emissions fines.
The Hybrid V6 was originally announced to start production in 2026 as a 2027 model. With their recent loss Honda has decided to delay a bunch of programs and it looks like the hybrid V6 is one of them.
TBQ: Dodge Rampage. The original Omni 024-derived model. So much of the pickupness of a pickup is enhanced by making the load floor lower.
Linden Green is nice, more a color I would associate with a Falcon post sedan than a GT40 though.
I love how they keep going on about the subsidies for EVs being wrong or illegitimate and a waste, but the even bigger ones for oil and gas are completely fine.
How many billions on behalf of petroleum interests this year alone?
Feel free to correct me if the whole straight of hormones and Iran thing is about something else.
Deep love and respect for green as a car color, except maybe neon/highlighter green. That Linden Green on the GT40 is excellent. Not sure I’ve ever seen that specific GT40 nor shade of green on a car. I guess all the GT40 livery attention went to the Gulf colors?
The Maverick may do the Ridgeline’s job for cheaper, but the Ridgeline has a Honda powerplant.
I know which truck I’d pick as owner #5