On the Line

Much of Northeast Ohio's fortunes rest on the men, women and companies that build cars.

Statewide, nearly 250,000 manufacturing jobs are directly linked to motor vehicle production. Ohio's eight assembly plants produce more cars than any state except Michigan. So as U.S. automaking has suffered, so have our communities.

What will it take to return prosperity to the industry? Can America's domestic automakers ever match up with their foreign competitors? The Plain Dealer will spend the rest of the year considering those issues.