The New European Automobile Industry [Hardcover]

The New European Automobile Industry is about the struggle for survival going on among the assembler and components firms which constitute the European automobile industry. It describes and explains the competitive, structural, organisational and technological changes currently sweeping the industry and outlines the spatial and economic effects of those changes. The empirical core of the book is a study of a number of technology fields in automobile components. These sections draw on the latest research carried out by the authors in Europe through which they evaluate the extent to which lean production techniques have permeated the vehicle assemblers and components industry.Introduction - Globalisation - Restructuring in the European Automotive Industry - The European Components Industry: An Overview - The Steel Supply Sector - The Presswork Sector - Friction Materials - Clutches and Brakes - Foreign Direct Investment, Investment Agencies and the Restructuring of the European Automotive Components Industry - Conclusions