ABSTRACT
Outsourcing has always been a feature of the automotive sector. The plain truth was that no vehicle maker had the expertise, the human talents or the financial resources to make all the items that were needed to build a car, van, truck or bus. In the main, the vehicle makers produced major components, such as bodies, floor pans and chassis, engines, cylinders, camshafts, transmissions and gears. Even here some firms always outsourced some of these items, especially some of the heavy commercial vehicle makers. At the same time, some vehicle firms made other components, such as electrical items, radiators and metals. However, for items other than the major components listed above, the vehicle maker depended heavily on component makers.
