ABSTRACT
The structure of the British industry is much less integrated, both horizontally and vertically, than that of the United States. Motor vehicle manufacturers, in particular, are peculiarly dependent upon the services of a number of suppliers of parts and components who, in turn, may also be important contributors in other fields of manufacture. With certain modifications, the supply structure for commercial vehicle and tractor production is very similar to that for cars. The dominance of the large car-producing companies in the manufacture of light commercial vehicles is not surprising in that their vans are, for the most part, merely commercial adaptations of passenger models, and some of their trucks have mechanical parts in common with the heavier cars. Car manufacturers usually have at least two grades of dealer: distributors and retail dealers, as they are often called. In addition to distributors and dealers, there are a large number of other firms in the retail motor trade.
