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First published in 1992. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.
List of contents
1. The Changing Geography of Automobile Production Part 1 . Development of the Geography of US Automotive Production 2. Automobile Production Concentrates in Michigan 3. Ford Revolutionizes the Geography of Production 4. General Motors Builds Branch Assembly Plants 5. Components Plants locate in the Southern Great Lakes Region Part 2. Reasons for Recent Locational Changes: Regional Scale 6. Market Fragmentation 7. Just-in-time Delivery Part 3. Reasons for Recent Locational Changes: Community Scale 8. Governmental Impact on Locational Decisions 9. Avoiding Militant Workers 10. Whipsawing Existing Plants Conclusion Bibliography
About the author
James M. Rubenstein
Summary
In recent years car production in the United States has undergone changes on a scale unknown since the pioneering era prior to World War One. 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.
Additional text
` ... the book should be read by anyone interested in either the historical development of the US automobile industry or its restructuring during the 1980s.' - Contemporary Sociology
