The Changing U.s. Auto Industry

The Changing U.S. Auto Industry is a book about the changes in the U.S. auto industry over the past few decades. The book uses concepts from geography, such as access to markets and shipments of parts, to understand some of the reasons for the recent changes. Another important factor is the changing role of labor in the production process, including the search by Japanese firms for a union-free environment, the re-location of some production to Mexico and the debate over the appropriate level of union-management cooperation.

In recent years car production in the United States has undergone changes on a scale unknown since the pioneering era prior to World War I. New plants have been opened in the interior of the country, while most of those located along the east and west coast have been closed. The Changing U.S. Auto Industry uses concepts drawn from geography, such as access to markets and shipments of parts, to understand some of the reasons for the recent changes. Also critical is the changing role of labour in the production process, including the search by Japanese firms for a union-free environment, the re-location of some production to Mexico and the debate over the appropriate level of union-management cooperation. This book should be of interest to lecturers and students of geography and economics. Review: . . . a well-researched study of changes in the U.S. auto industry, with many useful maps and tables. . . . the book should be read by anyone interested in either the historical development of the U.S. automobile industry or its restructuring during the 1980s. - Contemporary Sociology