TRUCK & TECH
MEETING OF THE EVOLUTION OF THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY OVER THE LAST 100 YEARS HAS INVOLVED MANY MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS. IN RECENT TIMES THOUGH, COLLABORATION AMONGST TRUCK PRODUCERS HAS BECOME MORE PREVALENT AS MANUFACTURERS HAVE SOUGHT ALLIANCES AND STRATEGIC ACQUISITIONS TO ENABLE POOLING OF RESOURCES AND TECHNOLOGY FOR THE BENEFIT OF EACH PARTY INVOLVED.
I
t’s interesting to reflect on how much the global vehicle manufacturing industry has changed over more than a century since it began. In the very early stages, a vast number of entrepreneurs waded into the production of the ‘horseless carriage’. From blacksmiths to bicycle manufacturers, anyone with initiative and basic knowhow could have a crack in what was at that time an entirely self-regulated industry. While early examples were exclusively hand-built on a one-at-a-time basis,
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it didn’t take long for commercial competitiveness to drive innovation in production techniques and a standout example of this was Henry Ford with his invention of the car assembly production line. A humanitarian at heart, Ford used this newfound efficiency to not only introduce better working conditions –including the eight-hour shift and better wages – for his employees, but also to cost-effectively turn out a steady stream of reliable and wellpriced automobiles for the masses.
In this way Ford pioneered the principle of mass production that would become a standard process across the manufacturing realm. Of course, as with any innovative idea, this concept was soon copied by others and it wasn’t long before auto builders the world over were reaping the efficiency benefits. The next phase involved a number of takeovers and acquisitions as larger companies sought to consolidate their positions by buying up smaller competitors, many of whom were struggling to survive and open
