The Rise And Decline Of The British Motor Industry

A concise 1995 review of the strengths and weaknesses of the British motor industry during the one hundred years since its foundation.

First published in 1980, this book considers the British motor industry over the period between 1945 and 1979, analysing the ways in which the industry suffered a considerable decline in the post-war era, when compared to motor industries of other countries or to most other British industries. Rather than blaming labour and management, as has frequently been the case, the author argues that the decline can be traced back to poor government policy. Tracing how, when and where government policies affected the industry, the book examines policies clearly directed at the motor industry, such as transport legislation and motor taxation. In addition the work considers the consequences of many policies which were targeted only indirectly at the motor industry as the author argues that whilst government policy may have succeeded in its aim, e.g. improving employment for the balance of payments, the motor industry may have suffered as a consequence. Written in non-technical language, the reissue will be of interest to those concerned with post-war UK economic development, the UK motor industry in particular and the history of government policy in general.

A fascinating and well-researched look at the British motor industry which will appeal to both academic readers and practitioners alike. Why are there now no major car manufacturers in Britain? Whisler considers this and the surrounding issues, making valuable comparisons with overseas manufacturers operating both in the UK and abroad, which provide us with additional interest and insight. Based upon careful use of company archives, this book covers in particular the issues of product development, quality, design, and range, ensuring that The British Motor Industry is destined to make a distinctive contribution to our understanding of the performance of UK manufacturers.

An investigation into the successes and failures of the British car industry over the last century. The author examines the role of the management, trade unions and government chronicling specific examples.

The car was first introduced into British society over one hundred years ago. Sean O'Connell's study of the social impact of the car offers a radical new way of looking at the history of motoring.

This book provides new insights into the changes in interpretation of marketing and the evolution of marketing strategies during the twentieth century. The focus is on the development of mass marketing in the United States and the way in which more flexible and adaptable forms of marketing have increasingly been taking over. This highly international volume draws contributors from the USA, Europe and Japan, and from a variety of academic disciplines, including marketing, economics and business history. Chapters provide detailed analysis of the marketing of a range of products including cars, washing machines, food retailing, Scotch whisky, computers, financial services and wheat.

Recent years have seen intense debates among management and academics on the rise of `lean production' and `Japanization'. Some authors have stressed the `universal' impact of new forms of work organization and `best practice' while others have questioned the limits of convergence, stressed the weight of national contexts or `societal effects', or highlighted the evolutionary effects of unpredictability in the external environment. The international automobile industry has been a focus for much of this debate and this book, written by a team of leading international researchers in the field, uses this industry to examine in detail the actual practice of the transfer and adaptation of productive models and the trajectories of innovation, compromise, and failure that can result. Case studies cover in detail the Japanese transplant experience in North America, and the global experience of hybrid production systems in Europe, Latin America, and Asia. The book contributes to theoretical discussions about the transfer, adaptation, or convergence of productive models. In particular, the authors argue that direct transplantation or imitation of these models is rarely feasible or even desirable. Systems cannot be transferred without being significantly reshaped. Instead, the book focuses on the process of `hybridization', the complex interaction of productive models with national and societal effects. Hybridization, it is argued, is inevitable. But this should be seen not simply as a process of compromise and retreat but also as an important dynamic of innovation and learning. This book is from the French-based international research network GERPISA (Groupe d'étude de récherche permanent sur l'industrie et les salaries de l'automobile). See related titles below.