by Gareth Jones BBC Wales business and industry correspondent

Richard Parry Jones is in charge of Ford's 30,000 engineers worldwide

Taking prime position is Ford's engine plant in Bridgend; the company itself says it is one of the jewels in its crown.

Wales has also produced a few of the world's movers and shakers in the industry, including Bangor-born Richard Parry-Jones, a Group Vice President of the Ford Motor Company.

As chief technical officer of the American auto giant, he's in charge of 30,000 engineers worldwide dedicated to developing better motor vehicles in this most highly-competitive and male-dominated of industries.

But as Mr Parry-Jones was to reveal in a speech in Swansea at an Institute of Welsh Affairs event, it's the female of the species who may now be driving the future of the motor car.

Mr Parry-Jones told his audience that the big threat for anyone in Western Europe was quite simply, Eastern Europe.

Auto companies here trying to compete on cost alone were doomed because of the east's cheaper labour. The future, he told us, was to go up-market.

What did this mean, I wanted to know in an interview afterwards, for Ford's engine factory in Bridgend? Did the plant, celebrating 25 years of existence this year, have another quarter century of life in it?

"At least 25 years," he said. "Bridgend is stronger now than it's ever been. It's receiving its largest investment ever and most importantly, it's producing engines for the premium car market - more expensive, top of the range models like Jaguars, Range Rovers and Volvos."

This was vital in the battle against Eastern European competition.

"One of the areas in which Wales can compete is in the premium sector," he went on. "It has the talent and experience to deal with premium products like Ford's hi-tech all-aluminium engines which contain many, many more parts compared with entry-level engines.

Women are buying well over half of new premium cars today in the US, which is where most of our Bridgend engines end up Group Vice President of Ford Richard Parry-Jones

"It is still difficult to get these complex systems made in the east, so this is a good position for south Wales to exploit. Not just in engines, but in all parts of the automotive supply chain."

So where do women come into this?

In his speech earlier, the Salford University-educated engineer had told us how the premium sector- all those expensive Jags and the like - was now the driving force in the industry.

Production of premium cars was increasing by between 11% and 16% a year worldwide, injecting some hope into a global motor industry notably short of profits in recent years.

"Richer people are buying better cars," he said. And the biggest consumers of these luxury products?

Luxury extras

"Women are buying well over half of new premium cars today in the U.S., which is where most of our Bridgend engines end up."

Women, with increasing buying power, are playing a more influential part in the car market.

They like luxury, extras like powered tailgates and, above all, safety features.

All the things you get in a premium car, in fact. Mr Parry Jones said the future for the automotive industry was in dreaming up features that added such value.

"By 2010 we want the Bridgend plant to be producing a million engines a year, employing 1,800 people," he said.