BRIEFING: An analysis of the top global automotive manufacturing platforms

There have been a number of significant changes to the top ten global platforms in 2005, with Volkswagen’s A5 platform taking the top-spot, having achieved a volume not far short of 2m units. This briefing analyses the top global automotive manufacturers approaches to platform strategy, particularly Ford, Toyota and General Motors. The briefing also discusses the increased role of electronics on major component sub-systems, the advantages and disadvantages of a platform policy, and answers the question ‘are the top ranking platforms really global?’