ABSTRACT
The oil crisis which began to affect the world economy in late 1973 acted as a substantial brake on the continued growth of the automotive industry. North America's share of world output has continued to decline as new competitors have arisen and as motorization has diffused more widely. Japan clearly dominates world intercontinental trade movements. South Korea has emerged in the 1980s as a significant world producer. The 1980 announcement was a plan to build five new automotive component plants. Factors involved in the location of all the new facilities were lower labour costs and the possibilities of more flexible working practices in the less industrialized areas. Competitive pressures, global recession and rapid technological change have profoundly affected the motor industry throughout the 1980s. The competitive twists and turns in the market-place have profoundly affected corporations in the world auto industry. Change and transition are integral themes in this general overview of world patterns since 1973.
