Driving a Bargain: Automobile Industrialization and Japanese Firms in Southeast Asia explores the dynamics between developing nations and foreign investors in the context of automobile manufacturing. Focused on Southeast Asia, the book analyzes the national efforts of the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand to establish domestic automobile industries. These countries have pursued policies aimed at reducing dependency on foreign imports and building local manufacturing capacities. By examining the interactions between ASEAN countries and largely Japanese auto firms, the study highlights the challenges and opportunities these nations face in negotiating technology transfer, market access, and industrial autonomy. The book presents a critical examination of the bargaining processes that shape these countries' industrialization strategies.Through comparative case studies, the book challenges prevailing theories of foreign investment and dependency. It critiques the structuralist approach to bargaining, arguing for a more nuanced understanding of local leverage in manufacturing industries. The study highlights the significance of local firms, the role of the state, and the political and economic conditions that determine bargaining success. By exploring the interplay between the private sector and government in ASEAN nations, Driving a Bargain offers new insights into the potential for developing countries to increase their manufacturing capacity and achieve economic growth through strategic partnerships with foreign firms. This work also contributes to the broader development literature by emphasizing the importance of public-private coalitions in fostering sustainable industrial development.This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1991.