History is littered with the ruins of empires which once claimed or hoped their rule would last forever.Back in the 19th century, Britain’s mills dominated the world’s textile trade but they eventually lost their status as American and Asian competitors started taking over. In the early 21st century, household names like Kodak and Nokia collapsed when they failed to adapt to the digital revolution.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles
Germany couldn’t beat China on cars. What makes Australia different?
If even one of the world’s greatest automotive empires, Volkswagen, can be brought to its knees by modern economic realities, what hope is there for the rest?










