You are right to question my "claim". Apparently it's only 61 cars per employee per year.
This may be true, but not entirely relevant to the health of the American and European Automotive industries, which are far more dependant on the high volume manufacturers-models.
Built like a Mercedes 3651DTJ To an extent the same is true in Europe. The domestically built Japanese branded cars are excellent. Not all of them are exciting, innovative, nice to drive or perfect but...
The Honda Accord is a big seller and is therefore important. I wasn't having a dig or anything. The productivity figure is important in understanding the business forces that dictate where cars are made although there are, of course, many others.
The large number of Japanese manufacturers in Europe is a direct result of protectionist policies set in place which limited the number of Japanese imports. The Japanese of course, didn't let a little thing like that stop them. Although Japanese productivity is IIRC, over 90 cars pepy, it is also true to say that Europes current impressive figures are a direct result of the Japanese coming here.
I've given you a recent press release of the world market research historical data which might scare you. (In 1999 Toyota were doing well with 31 cpepy.
Built like a Mercedes 3652For a while cheap-labour countries have an advantage but this erodes with time. (Taiwan-to-mainland China shift is one example.) At first simple machinery is...
I've also just found 99814EF979B2CB50&method=display which provides some US figures that I was looking for. (Average 47.7 but some plants higher than 70 including the Ford plant in Hapeville, Ga. at 102. Wow.)
-- Alan LeHun
