ABSTRACT
The first oil crisis occurred in 1973 coupled by the Japanese launching their first offensive in North America. The second oil shock came in 1979 followed by a worldwide recession as the Japanese invasion increased. The declining importance of the domestic automotive industry is well known. Until 1940, the US produced over 80% of the world’s autos, and by 1980 this ratio was down to 25%. In 1972, imports from Japan and Western Europe accounted for 15% of total US car sales. The increase, especially in the last decade, in the number of foreign firms participating in the domestic market, particularly those with local subsidiaries, has profoundly affected the entire industry. It is expected that materials and the methods used to make cars will change as the auto industry moves toward the end of the 1990s. Automakers are also rethinking their production methods which provide an impetus for plastics on car exteriors.
