Australia is one of just thirteen countries in the world equipped to take a car from design concept all the way to a showroom -- an achievement not to be let go of lightly. As Gideon Haigh shows in this engaging analysis for the lay reader, the industry has become a whetstone for various ideological axes, clouding the argument for and against retaining it. The truth is both far more complex and surprising, the possible solutions not as black and white as politicians of either side would have us believe.

"Why we have the car industry we do, why it is in trouble, and what the debate over its future tells us about Australia today" - Cover.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 192-193)