It inherited and operated four independent plants assembling CKD kits of British Leyland and from the late 1970s, Honda models.
New Zealand's principal export customer, the United Kingdom, joined the Common Market in 1973 and took up different sources for its agricultural produce.
Not until the end of the 1970s did Hondas begin to replace the British Marina and Princess on NZMC's assembly lines.
A new government set about removing protection from many industries including local vehicle assembly.
[5] Cars and commercial vehicles, bus chassis and bodies, tractors, industrial and earthmoving equipment, diesel engines, cranes, shipping containers.