The loss of our car making was because the consumer no longer wanted big 6 and 8 cylinder rear wheel drive cars. We were beholden to the whims of American manufacturers when Australians wanted either smaller 4 seat fuel efficient SUVs or a capable offroad 4WD. Neither of which we produced despite at least 20 years of warning. Like Blackberry and Nokia phones......we failed to see the change.
We had a tractor manufacturer once....Chamberlain. But again we failed to build the big dual axle 4WD tractors that broadacre farming was wanting. Thus we now import John Deere, Case etc at half million dollar prices.
Our road trains prime movers are made in Europe. Many in high taxing nations such as Sweden.... a country half our size.
NO...it wasn't high costs. It was simply the lack of foresight as to what we needed.
