ABSTRACT
The National Car Project (NCP) reports confirm a disregard for parallel activities that are a learning opportunity and the means to gather information on possible competition. Parallel projects addressed special engineering attributes and accumulated information, knowledge and experience that could have informed NCP's niche-targeting decisions. Learning from such efforts would have saved on duplications of effort and advised on alternative avenues to attaining the national car ideal. In Kenya, the unveiling of the national car took the industry by surprise. Subsequent announcements were similarly sporadic, unpredictable and arbitrary. Such a style of terrain management increases unpredictability and opacity. Poor terrain management led to an erratic, uncertain and opaque environment which derailed investment planning. Mitsubishi instilled a more professional style of management in the Malaysian management team. Bringing in foreigners to manage a national capability show-case illustrated flexibility in terrain and project management.
