This book is published during a phase of crisis and transformation for the automobile industry across the world; this crisis is particularly acute in Europe and the United States. The book is written especially for the non-specialist with more than a passing interest in the sector, such as experts of other sectors, trade unionists, representatives of the corporate world, policymakers and public managers who deal with industry, commerce and public planning. The authors provide up-to-date information and assessments of what is actually taking place, with particular attention paid to the sub-supply companies. The main focus lies on four European countries, Germany, Spain, Sweden and Italy, each of which is significant for its different experiences. Finally, three important non-European situations, the United States, Brazil and Japan, are examined. Contents: Francesco Garibaldo/Andrea Bardi: Introduction - Ulrich Jürgens: Restructuring the Automobile Industry and Its Workforce: A Worldwide Perspective - Torsten Müller/Hans-Wolfgang Platzer/Stefan Rüb: Global Company Strategies - Global Employee Interest Representation? The Cases of Volkswagen and DaimlerChrysler - Rainer Greca: Audi and BMW - Supplier Strategies of Two Successful Car Producers - Joachim Warschat/Kristina Wagner/Christina Edelmann: Automotive District Stuttgart - Evolution and Trends with the Focus on Cooperation in Virtual Clusters - Peter Fredriksson: Modular Supply in the Swedish Automotive Sector - José Ferro-Camacho: The Automotive Cluster of Galicia: The Role of PSA in the Regional Dynamics - Giuseppe Calabrese/Fabrizio Erbetta: Factors of Performance in a Context of Market Change: The Automotive District of Turin - Andrea Bardi/Francesco Garibaldo/Stefano Raffa/Volker Telljohann: The Automotive Cluster of Turin: Company, Strategy and Organisational Evolution - Andrea Bardi/Francesco Garibaldo: The Automobile Filière in Emilia-Romagna: Strategic Positioning and the Consequences of the Fiat Auto Crisis - Davide Bubbico/Francesco Pirone: The Weakness of Car Manufacturing Industries Associated with Fiat Sata, Alfa Romeo and FMA Powertrain in the South of Italy - William Cooke/David Meyer/Christopher Huxley: Teamworking in the U.S. Motor Vehicle Supplier Sector: Strategies and Effects on Manufacturing Performance and Worker Outcomes - Mario Sergio Salerno/Ana Valéria Carneiro Dias: The Development of Modularity and Niche Product Design in Brazil - René Haak: The Japanese Car Industry