ABSTRACT
Almost half the world’s people live in Asia. Half of these people are under 25 years old. In 2003, it was forecast that there could be 120 million cars on the road in Asia by 2010, compared with around 62 million in 1996. Asia is the world’s largest regional exporter of cars, with large numbers of Japanese, South Korean, and Thai cars and smaller numbers of Indian, Chinese, Indonesian, and Australian cars being exported to North America, Europe, South America, and the Middle East. The majority of India’s car manufacturing industry is based around three clusters in the south, west, and north. Indian manufacturers of automotive parts could export components valued at $100 million per year to Ford’s manufacturing plants worldwide, according to Ford. Developments in Asia with other automotive oils, such as brake fluids, shock absorber oils, and air conditioning system oils, are influenced mainly by developments in the United States and Europe.
