the profitability and high demand for rubber and tin. Malaya was strategically located along major ocean trade routes originating from East Asia and the Indian Ocean. Trade and commerce made British Malaya the most prosperous of all the European colonies in Southeast Asia. The boom of rubber and tin exports had funded the growth of the Malayan road network over the decades. In 1911, there were over 4,000 miles of road in the Straits Settlements and the Federated Malay States. By 1923, it was possible to drive from Singapore to Bangkok on the Malayan north-south highway. Car ownership in Malaya had also increased ten-fold between 1910 and 1925. Western cars dominate The earliest automobiles arrived in Malaya during the 1890s and 1900s. Western car companies from America, the British Empire and Continental Europe had established a strong foothold in Malaya by the 1910s. The automobile market in colonial Malaya was relatively small, and catered mainly to British expatriates and wealthy ethnic Chinese entrepreneurs in major cities such as Singapore, Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh. In the early 20th century, American car companies collectively held the largest share of the Malayan car market. The British administration made attempts to restrict the advancement of American cars in Malaya, as a means of protecting British business interests. American cars were subject to tariffs and periodical bans, while cars from Britain were allowed to be sold duty-free in Malaya. However, American cars were often cheaper despite the costly taxes, and some companies found ways to circumvent the tax restrictions altogether. The reign of Ford Malaya The automobile industry in British Malaya was pioneered by the Ford Motor Company. Ford sought to capitalise on existing Anglo-American ties to expand globally, and Malaya was recognised for its strategic potential as a regional export base. Ford's entry into Malaya was spearheaded by Ford Canada, an affiliate of Ford USA. Ford Canada was set up in 1904 to capitalise on its British colony status, which allowed it to export automobiles duty-free to the various Empire colonies. Ford Canada appointed Dodge & Seymour to handle sales in Asia, and the first Ford models were shipped into Malaya in 1909. Malayan Ford sales grew in the following years, and Ford Canada decided to take direct control of its Malayan operations in 1926. In November 1926, the Ford Motor Company of Malaya Ltd. (Ford Malaya) was incorporated in Singapore, and the