Case Studies on European Automobile Industry

Edited by : Rajendar Singh Rathore
ISBN : 978-81-314-2115-4
Price: $25  ( INR)
184 pages( Hardcover edition )

Automobile industry is the pillar of global economic growth and Europe forms a significant part of it. European automobile companies ruled the global industry with in-built capabilities of design, style and engineering and leveraged on their size and financial clout. All seemed bright until the Japanese automakers entered the market. Development of lean production systems coupled with radical technological and organisational innovations replaced Ford’s mass production as a global benchmark for automobile manufacturing.

As a result, European automakers were pressurised with a number of challenges: inability to integrate lean production techniques with their existing production facilities; increase in direct investment of Japanese automobile companies in the European assembly plants and suppliers; inability to cope with demand fluctuations owing to cost structure complexities; highly volatile political and economic environments that are reflected in currency and exchange rate fluctuations; high costs of investments and expansions into various parts of Europe – like eastern Europe; need to build a Pan-European base from a highly focused automobile production within the national context and failure to leverage on its existing strengths like style, engineering and design.

Troubles crept in as competition intensified and European automakers sought new ways of sustaining competition by undertaking various restructuring initiatives. All the 12 case studies compiled in this book, Case Studies on European Automobile Industry help readers not only to understand the emergence and growth of the European automobile industry but also shed light on various strategies – adopted by automakers like Volkswagen, Renault and Audi – like regaining market share from foreign counterparts, enhancing brand image to compete with rival brands, launching low-priced models by leveraging on low-cost production facilities and various other initiatives like exploring new growth avenues to earn sustainable profits.