ABSTRACT
The Second World War brought an end to the 'complete' car project. By the end of hostilities, however, conditions were ideal for the emergence of an 'Australian' car. The war considerably boosted Australia's manufacturing capacity, especially in the metal trades. There was widespread concern that the war would be followed by a return to the high levels of unemployment of the 1930s unless practical steps were taken to sustain and increase employment in manufacturing. The war also exposed the vulnerability of Australia to invasion by an Asian power. It provoked the response of the post-war immigration programme, combined with measures to promote the further development of the manufacturing sector as a means of substantially increasing the European population and defence capability of the country. A local motor vehicle manufacturing capacity was central to those aims.
