The industry in 1997: Only flexible makers of high-quality efficiently-produced cars will prosper in the fragmented marketplace of the late 20th century

Ten years may be too short a time for a revolution in the automotive industry. But the coming 10 years hold potential for more rapid change than virtually any such period so far. Automakers have already firmed up car designs into the early 1990s. They even have a good idea of the shape, materials, and electrical and mechanical systems for vehicles of the middle to late 1990s.