EUROPEAN MOTOR VEHICLES MARKET

EUROPE: MARCH 2008 - European motor vehicle manufacturing landscape changes.

The European Automobile Manufacturers Association have calculated that, in total, there are more than 250 automobile manufacturing plants in Europe, directly employing 2.3 million Europeans and indirectly supporting a further 10 million jobs in related sectors. These plants produce more than 18.5 million vehicles each year.

Roughly 170 plants are operated by 14 major manufacturers who between them produce 90% of Europe's vehicles; the remaining European plants are operated by smaller, specialist or Japanese manufacturers.

Based on 2004 figures Germany, with 36, has the most plants, followed by the UK (32), Italy (29) and France (25). In Central and Eastern Europe, manufacture is concentrated in Poland, the Czech Republic and Russia, each with more than 10 plants.

The competitive landscape will be altered by two announcements....more