OLD GLORY VS THE CIRCLE OF THE SUN
The Japanese Invasion of the U.S. Auto Market and the Fall of the Big Three
After World War II, America’s “Big Three” car makers (GM, Ford and Chrysler) were at their heights. However, as foreign competition began slowly creeping into the nation and as Congress and the public began demanding regulation of the industry, the beginnings of Detroit’s fall from grace took root. By the 1970s, America’s carmakers found themselves in a hailstorm of issues regarding new safety standards, environmental and economical regulations, and union clashes. While the Big Three were caught up in the storm, Japanese competition managed to win over the reluctant American public, expanding their hold on the American market aggressively throughout the 1980s. When the 2008 recession hit, America’s car makers took heavy blows, and they knew the time had come for change.
ABOUT
Will Rich has been a student at Wakefield School for 15 years, and this is his final project as Wakefield student. Next year he will be studying at the University of Virginia's College of Arts and Sciences. Since he was a boy, Will has always been in love with cars, particularly old American cars. That's why he chose to write his thesis about why foreign cars seem to dominate the American car market. He wanted to find out why and where the American car makers went wrong. Apart from their trucks and utility vehicles, the reputation of American cars is not very great among American consumers, and Will wanted to know why.
