The automobile has come to symbolize the essence of a modern industrial society. Perhaps more than any other single icon, it is associated with a desire for independence and freedom of movement; it is an expression of economic status and personal style. Automobile production is also critically important to the major industrial economies of the world. In the United States, for instance, about 5 percent of all workers are employed directly (including fuel production and distribution) by the auto industry.1 Technological change in the auto industry can potentially influence not only the kinds of cars that are driven, but also the health of the economy