The automotive industry in 2012--The year in review ... and what lies ahead

摘要

2012 has been a watershed year for the automotive industry. Since the beginning of the economic crisis that started in 2008, this has been the first year that brought a semblance of normalcy and sanity for automakers and suppliers. Unlike 2011, the positive effects of the gradually improving national economy weren't tempered by tsunamis, European economic collapses, or stock market slides. And the year appears to be ending on a high note. Conservative forecasts conceived earlier in the year have been exceeded, and the rate of recovery appears to be accelerating as the year draws to a close. The automotive industry is bracing for a 2013 in which capacity shortages are more likely to be a concern than the lack of business dhat has defined the last few years.