Gideon Haigh on why we have the car industry we do, why it is in trouble, and what the debate over its future tells us about Australia today Australia is one of just thirteen countries in the world equipped to take a car from design concept all the way to a showroom – a remarkable achievement in a market so small. Yet the industry has few friends, and many vociferous critics who argue that the country should not make cars at all. In this engaging and insightful analysis for the lay reader, Gideon Haigh explains why the industry has become an ideological battleground, and reveals the more complex and surprising truth behind the partisan rhetoric. 'No one cuts through the knee-jerk platitudes of the commentariat quite like Gideon Haigh . . . In this exhilaratingly fierce critique, Haigh never loses sight of what really matters: the workers, their communities and the quality of the products they make.' Fiona Capp, Sydney Morning Herald