Author(s): Mark Webster

Automotive

New Zealand’s car assembly industry began with the Colonial Motor Company piecing together Ford Model Ts in the early 1920s, and the first true production line came in 1926 with General Motors. For the next 70 years, the assembly industry directly employed thousands of New Zealanders and indirectly supported tens of thousands more. Factories assembling models from the Morris Minor to the Toyota Hilux became part of the social fabric of communities up and down the country. Then the reform of the 80s and 90s dealt blow after blow to the industry, and the removal of import tariffs on cars in 1998 was the death knell. Author Mark Webster scoured the country interviewing and delving into company archives. Assembly is his loving record of an industry long gone but not forgotten. It is a highly pictorial and well-researched book about an industry that indirectly provided employment to nearly 8% of the New Zealand workforce at one point in our short history. Assembly is beautifully presented in hardback and contains many photographs never before seen in print. It will appeal to many people including: · All NZ car enthusiasts, historians and classic car buffs. · Social/NZ history enthusiasts, who will be fascinated by this comprehensive overview. · The many kiwis who worked in the industry or who lived in towns where the car assembly plants were such a vital part of the community.