The Briefing
- U.S. auto manufacturing has been in a downward trend since the 1970s
- Overseas competitors have gradually eroded the market share of America’s Big Three
- Recent events like the global chip shortage present further setbacks
U.S. Car Production Falls to a New Low
Germany may have been the birthplace of the automobile, but it was America that developed the methods for mass production.
Created in 1913, Henry Ford’s assembly line greatly reduced the time it took to build a car. This also made cars more affordable, and America’s automotive industry quickly became the largest in the world. As we can see in the chart above, this dominance wouldn’t last forever.
Here are some reasons for why the U.S. produces a fraction of the cars it used to.
Global Competition
America’s Big Three (Ford, GM, and Chrysler*) have been unable to defend their market share from overseas competitors. The following table shows how Honda and Toyota were able to break into the U.S. market over a span of just five decades.
| Year | Ford | GM | Chrysler | Big Three Total Market Share | Honda | Toyota |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 29.3% | 45.7% | 10.4% | 85.4% | - | - |
| 1970 | 28.3% | 38.9% | 14.9% | 82.1% | - | 2.0% |
| 1980 | 20.5% | 44.2% | 9.1% | 73.8% | 3.3% | 6.2% |
| 1990 | 23.8% | 35.2% | 12.0% | 71.0% | 6.0% | 7.6% |
| 2000 | 22.6% | 28.0% | 13.0% | 63.6% | 6.5% | 9.1% |
| 2010 | 16.4% | 18.8% | 9.2% | 44.4% | 10.5% | 15.0% |
*Chrysler is now a part of Stellantis N.V., a multinational corporation.
Source: WardsAuto
The 1970s presented an incredible opportunity for Honda and Toyota, which at the (Read more...)