That's OK with Honda, which says its Ridgeline pickup is a niche player in a field long dominated by the Ford F-150 and the Chevrolet Silverado.
The first dealer-ready 2009 Ridgeline made at the Lincoln plant rolled off the assembly line shortly after 6 p.m. Monday, Honda spokesman Ted Pratt said. Worker Telly Head of Columbiana drove the Ridgeline - a top-of-the-line RTL model in sterling gray metallic, with a leather interior and navigation system - off the assembly line.
The Ridgeline pickup was introduced in March 2005 as a 2006 model built at Honda's plant in Ontario. Monday's handover represents the first time that the Japanese automaker has transferred all production of an existing model between two North American factories.
"Today, we celebrate the start of mass production of the Ridgeline - the first Honda pickup truck to be built in `Sweet Home Alabama,'" Hiroshi Sasamoto, president of Honda's Alabama operations, said in a statement.
Ridgeline sales, however, have been sagging with the fortunes of the U.S. auto industry. Honda sold 33,875 Ridgelines last year, the fewest since the truck's debut. That was down from 42,795 in 2007 and 50,193 in 2006, Honda said.
Honda has said it is pleased with sales of the vehicle, which starts at around $28,000. Pratt said Honda has not set figures on how many Ridgelines it plans to make in Alabama in 2009.
"The number we manufacture will be based on customer demand," he said. "Our manufacturing line is very flexible, so we'll be able to make Odyssey, Pilot and Ridgeline all based on market conditions."
John Phillips, new car director for Serra Honda in Ensley, said the Ridgeline was not designed to appeal to customers who prefer a traditional pickup like the Ford F-150.
"The Ridgeline is for people who like versatility - it is a truck that drives like an SUV and has the comfort and feel of luxury vehicle," Phillips said.
+ 2011 Ford F-150 Truck Moves to EcoBoost V6/V8
+ 2010 Dodge Ram Heavy-Duty Pickup Truck for Chicago 2009
+ North American Truck and Car of the Year: Ford F-150, Hyundai Genesis
+ GM Medium-Duty Flint Truck Plant Selling to Isuzu?
In the Birmingham area, the F-150 is king. Figures provided by the Birmingham Auto Dealers Association show that nearly 1,450 new F-150 trucks were sold last year in the area, compared to around 115 Ridgelines. The Ford pickup trailed only the Honda Accord (1,659) and Toyota Camry (1,623) in new vehicles sold in metro Birmingham last year.
Bobby Skinner, president of Jim Skinner Ford in Roebuck, said the Ridgeline "isn't even competition for the F-150."
"The F-150 has always been very popular and our best seller," Skinner said. "It appeals to folks who like something on weekends they can haul stuff in or drive around in comfortably. It's a good quality truck."
Honda announced last March it was shifting Ridgeline production to Lincoln, a move that allowed it to produce more Civics in Canada.
