Over the past 100 years the European Automotive Industry has been repeatedly challenged by best practice. First by the United States, through the development of mass production pioneered by Henry Ford and more recently by lean production techniques as practised by the leading Japanese producers, particularly Toyota. It has consistently risen to these challenges and has shown it can compete and even outperform its competitors with world-class products. However, the European - dustry is now faced with growing competition and growth from new emerging low-cost countries and needs to re-define its...