ABSTRACT
an historical study of the changing structure of an industry in one country runs the risk of jumping to the conclusion that the observed development was inevitable. Reasons are sought and, of course, found, to explain particular events, or groups of events, and the more convincing these reasons are, the greater the danger of concluding that no other course of development was possible. Because of this tendency, some sort of comparison, if it can be done, is salutary. Fortunately, enough material is readily available to make such a comparison with the car industry of the USA. 478
