ABSTRACT
The car industry has been a highly important leading manufacturing sector in the British economy since World War II. Whether nationalised or not, it has been subject to frequent and extensive government intervention. After the War, British car companies have managed to do little more than muddle through, despite a wide popular interest in the industry and support for its products. There are many reasons to explain this. The core explanation, however, was the role of government. Compared to other Western car-makers, British car-makers have not had any national market protection from government. When we think about Japanese makers, once imitators of British industry, now the world's second largest car-maker, the British government's dereliction of its duty is clear.
