The automotive industry is a vital customer sector for the glassmaking industry. In the 1970s, world demand for new cars averaged 28M vehicles, increasing to 32M in the 1980s and to 36M in the 1990s. The 2001 figure was 39.3M which is made up of 10.2M cars for the NAFTA countries; 4.3M for Japan; 2.1M for central and eastern Europe; 14.8M in western Europe; 7.8M in the rest of the world. Demand in 2002 was very similar but a slight rise of around 2.3% is predicted for 2003 at 40.2M. Western Europe's figures for car registrations have risen steadily over the past 25 years. The problem for many suppliers to the automotive industry, however, is to continue doing so while making a profit. The consultants AT Kearney claims that the leading global suppliers to car manufacturers saw a 25% drop in their financial performance in 2001, based on the cash flow return.
