ABSTRACT
The evolution was supposedly explained by the complementarity, in production and in distribution, which exists between economies of scale and economies of scope, as demonstrated by the lower costs witnessed when several products were manufactured and sold by a same entity. Variety has not developed in a linear manner each time that the socio-productive model offered as a point of reference for a given historical period has changed. The ability of Japanese automobile manufacturers to accommodate and even generate fluctuations in market demand has been pinpointed as an essential factor in their ongoing success. European industry had to continue to try to diversify its product range in order to satisfy customer expectations, whilst at the same time increasing or preserving its economies of scale. After the Second World War, European carmakers had to contend with many different types of pressure–and they had to make a wide variety of decisions.
