ABSTRACT
The motor vehicle industry never ceases to attract attention and fascination. The dominant industries of one Kondratieff wave do not necessarily stop growing in the next wave, and this has certainly been true of motor vehicles, but their influence on the character of new growth will be less. The fact that this type of industrial system was termed 'Fordism' suggests that it draws a great deal of its inspiration from the motor vehicle industry where one should expect to find most of the features present. Under Fordism manufacturing was dispersing, but under flexible regimes there is the possibility of spatial re-concentration. There have been widespread attempts to introduce flexible manufacturing systems into the industry, although not always with the success that was anticipated. Flexible labour practices are seen most clearly in the changing role of unions. Modern manufacturing has spread too many more countries, including those of the Third World.
