# Which large nations lack a domestic auto industry? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 24, 2009, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-large-nations-lack-a-domestic-auto-industry/500791 "2009-06-24T02:08:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-large-nations-lack-a-domestic-auto-industry/500791/1 "2009-06-24T02:08:24Z")
Do they make cars in Australia? India? Brazil? South Africa? And if so, do they make them as subsidiaries of international corporations based elsewhere, or do they have a ‘native’ automaker like Sweden has Saab and South Korea has Hyundai? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-large-nations-lack-a-domestic-auto-industry/500791/2 "2009-06-24T02:17:43Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > India? India has a very large domestic auto industry, notably including [Tata Motors](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tata_Motors), founded by Jamshedji Nussarwanji Tata in 1945 as a locomotive company. They had a lot of publicity last year over the [Tata Nano](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tata_Nano), a car that sells for about $2500. ---
**Author:** ![Rumor\_Watkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@Rumor\_Watkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rumor_Watkins)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-large-nations-lack-a-domestic-auto-industry/500791/3 "2009-06-24T02:21:09Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Do they make cars in Australia? India? Brazil? South Africa? > > And if so, do they make them as subsidiaries of international corporations based elsewhere, or do they have a ‘native’ automaker like Sweden has Saab and South Korea has Hyundai? Australia made 334k motor vehicles in 07 India made 2.3million Brazil made 2.9million S. Africa made 534k I think out of those only India has a homegrown auto manufacturer Tata - they make the Nano Tatas - and there are a few other mfgs. Holden is Australia’s GM subsidiary, and i think the euro mfgs are represented in Brazil quite well ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-large-nations-lack-a-domestic-auto-industry/500791/4 "2009-06-24T02:25:55Z")
India: [Tata Motors - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tata_Motors) ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-large-nations-lack-a-domestic-auto-industry/500791/5 "2009-06-24T02:35:54Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > India has a very large domestic auto industry, notably including [Tata Motors](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tata_Motors), … There’s also [Mahindra & Mahindra](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahindra_%26_Mahindra_Limited), who plans to [pick up some former Chrysler dealers](http://www.freep.com/article/20090616/BUSINESS01/906160340/Chrysler++Ford+dealers+join+Mahindra+group) and start selling their pickup trucks in the US. Wikipedia has a handy list of [countries by motor vehicle production](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_motor_vehicle_production). I don’t notice any particularly conspicuous absences. ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-large-nations-lack-a-domestic-auto-industry/500791/6 "2009-06-24T02:55:19Z")
Wikipedia lists Bangladesh as 7th in population but it doesn’t appear on the motor vehicle list. That’s not particularly surprising, I don’t guess. From a wealth perspective rather than a population perspective, none of the Middle Eastern countries appear on the motor vehicle list. ---
**Author:** ![Gleena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b3f665/32.png) [@Gleena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gleena)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-large-nations-lack-a-domestic-auto-industry/500791/7 "2009-06-24T03:07:05Z")
Australia’s autos are mostly made by Holden, which is part of GM. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-large-nations-lack-a-domestic-auto-industry/500791/8 "2009-06-24T03:11:43Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Do they make cars in Australia? India? Brazil? South Africa? > > And if so, do they make them as subsidiaries of international corporations based elsewhere, or do they have a ‘native’ automaker like Sweden has Saab and South Korea has Hyundai? Australia makes lots of cars. The two major manufacturers are Holden (owned by GM, but left to their own devices 99% of the time) and Ford (subsidiary of Ford USA, and again, pretty much left to do whatever they like). Toyota also build cars here, FWIW, and Mitsubishi used to until last year. New Zealand used to have a car assembly plant in the North Island for assembling [CKD car kits](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complete_knock_down), but in the late '80s the Government just removed all the import tarriffs on cars so NZ became flooded with cheap Japanese Imports and the factory closed down in the late '90s. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-large-nations-lack-a-domestic-auto-industry/500791/9 "2009-06-24T03:21:27Z")
> [@Gleena](#): > > Australia’s autos are mostly made by Holden, which is part of GM. Besides not being true (Ford and Toyota make just as many cars as Holden), I wouldn’t say that sort of thing too loudly near any die-hard Ford supporters! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Gleena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b3f665/32.png) [@Gleena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gleena)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-large-nations-lack-a-domestic-auto-industry/500791/10 "2009-06-24T03:32:24Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > Besides not being true (Ford and Toyota make just as many cars as Holden), I wouldn’t say that sort of thing too loudly near any die-hard Ford supporters! 😉 Fair enough, I sit corrected. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-large-nations-lack-a-domestic-auto-industry/500791/11 "2009-06-24T03:57:11Z")
> [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](#): > > Wikipedia lists Bangladesh as 7th in population but it doesn’t appear on the motor vehicle list. That’s not particularly surprising, I don’t guess And just barely under Bangladesh is Pakistan and Nigeria. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-large-nations-lack-a-domestic-auto-industry/500791/12 "2009-06-24T04:00:39Z")
Canada has plants that belong to Ford, GM, Chrysler, Toyota, and Honda, plus a GM/Suzuki joint venture (CAMI). There have been a number of attempts in the past few decades to start a Canadian-owned car company (Bricklin, anyone?), but they pretty much came to naught. (I am not familiar with earlier events.) However, at least one Canadian parts-maker, [Magna](http://www.magna.com/), became large and advanced to building complete cars from kits under contract. And in the ongoing reorganization/selloff of GM, it looks like Magna is going to pick up Adam Opel AG, which was the mainland European arm of GM, and thus graduate to being a full car company. The folks at Château Stronach\* must be proud. [sub]\*Château Stronach is what I call Magna’s headquarters in Aurora, Ontario. It’s styled to look like a French château, and set amidst opulent grounds. Magna was founded by one [Frank Stronach](http://www.magna.com/magna/en/about/founder/default.aspx).[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-large-nations-lack-a-domestic-auto-industry/500791/13 "2009-06-24T04:03:58Z")
What about Bombardier? I thought they made cars and trucks and aircraft and snowmobiles… ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-large-nations-lack-a-domestic-auto-industry/500791/14 "2009-06-24T04:10:00Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > What about Bombardier? I thought they made cars and trucks and aircraft and snowmobiles… Bombardier does not make regular cars. I believe they make low-speed ‘neighbourhood electric vehicles’. Based on their experience making snowmobiles and four-wheelers, I suspect they’d be more likely to enter the motorcycle market via Bombardier Recreational Products than become a full-size automobile manufacturer. I also forgot to mention that Canada has a number of domestic bus manufacturers (Orion, Prevost Car, New Flyer). ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-large-nations-lack-a-domestic-auto-industry/500791/15 "2009-06-24T04:16:35Z")
[Bombardier](http://www.bombardier.com/) [Bombardier Recreational Products](http://www.brp.com/) Looking at BRP’s site, I see that they have acquired the [Spyder](http://www.brp.com/en-CA/BrandSelect.htm), a specialty trike. They’re close… ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-large-nations-lack-a-domestic-auto-industry/500791/16 "2009-06-24T04:45:23Z")
Auto production by country: [http://oica.net/category/production-statistics/](http://oica.net/category/production-statistics/) Biggest economies: > **[List of countries by GDP (nominal)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal))** > > Gross domestic product (GDP) is the market value of all final goods and services from a nation in a given year. Countries are sorted by nominal GDP estimates from financial and statistical institutions, which are calculated at market or government official exchange rates. Nominal GDP does not take into account differences in the cost of living in different countries, and the results can vary greatly from one year to another based on fluctuations in the exchange rates of the country's currenc... Comparing: The Netherlands have a small car industry, relative to their total output. It appears that Switzerland does not have a notable car industry, [or maybe it’s small and specialized](http://www.salon-auto.ch/en/exposants/tribune/swiss-automobile-visionary-frank-m-rinderknecht-builds-a-concept-car-with-adaptive-energy-concept-0-6482). Saudi Arabia does not have a car industry. Neither does Norway. Both are in the top 25 GDP list due to their oil reserves. Neither Greece, Denmark or Ireland appear to have an auto industry. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-large-nations-lack-a-domestic-auto-industry/500791/17 "2009-06-24T04:54:55Z")
Surfing, I see that the Swiss built automobiles [in the early part of last century](http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9802E6D7153BE233A25754C2A96E9C946796D6CF). Today [Swiss Auto](http://www.swissautoproducts.com/) makes parts and [Rinspeed](http://www.rinspeed.com/pages/content/frames_e.htm) designs concept cars, sports cars and judging from the pictures on their website swimming cars as well as of course [flying cars](http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/02/26/swiss_set_to_unleash_flying/). Channel 4 has a link on the swiss auto industry which is currently dead: [www.channel4.com/4car/ft/feature/top+ten/13614/1](http://www.channel4.com/4car/ft/feature/top+ten/13614/1) ---
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-large-nations-lack-a-domestic-auto-industry/500791/18 "2009-06-24T05:10:41Z")
Suzuki India has [50 %](http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/now-maruti-takesdig-at-hyundai/361861/) share in domestic market . Tata motors may catch up when TATA NANO goes full steam in 2 to 3 years ( with multiple manufacturing locations) ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-large-nations-lack-a-domestic-auto-industry/500791/19 "2009-06-24T05:38:15Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > Neither Greece, Denmark or Ireland appear to have an auto industry. Weren’t DeLoreans made in Ireland? True, they’re not any more, but it does seem rather odd that Ireland has shipbuilding facilities but not car manufacturing facilities… ETA: Yes, I know they were made in Northern Ireland, which is technically part of the UK, depending who you talk to. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-large-nations-lack-a-domestic-auto-industry/500791/20 "2009-06-24T17:20:21Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Canada has plants that belong to Ford, GM, Chrysler, Toyota, and Honda, plus a GM/Suzuki joint venture (CAMI). There have been a number of attempts in the past few decades to start a Canadian-owned car company (Bricklin, anyone?), but they pretty much came to naught. (I am not familiar with earlier events.) Bricklin was an American carpetbagger. He was, like me, from Philadelphia and I knew his cousin moderately well. I am surprised no one has mentioned Indonesia. They are a very large country \> 100 million and I have never heard they built cars. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-large-nations-lack-a-domestic-auto-industry/500791.md?page=2)