Relates the history of the production of automobiles: spectacular growth, the drive for scale accompanied by great waves of concentration among the vehicle builders, the emergence of new players, the globalization of the industry. A surprising result emerges: the unbroken dominance of an oligarchy of vehicle manufacturers, with no Chinese-owned firms in their ranks, despite China’s huge production volumes. Explains how the manufacturers control access to their end markets through their unique system of proprietary distribution channels.