Swaythling passenger cars in the UK, leaving the Southampton made Transit as their only British-made vehicle. In 2009, with the new Kocaeli, Turkey, plant in full production, Ford reluctantly halved production at Southampton and reduced the workforce to just over 500. Employing 500 workers, the factory produced up to 35,000 Transit chassis/cab variant vehicles annually, of which 50% were exported. The Ford Southampton plant closed on 26 July 2013. The very first branch of the DIY chain B&Q was opened in Swaythling in 1969. The shop was owned by Messrs Block and Quayle. Swaythling railway station is on the main line
Fred Quayle Fred Quayle Frederick MacDonald Quayle (February 16, 1936 – November 24, 2018) was an American politician and lawyer. Quayle served in the Virginia Senate and was a Republican. Quayle represented the 13th District in the Commonwealth of Virginia. His district included parts of the cities of Chesapeake, Franklin, Hopewell, Portsmouth, Suffolk, all of Surry County and parts of Isle of Wight and Southampton counties. Quayle was reelected four consecutive times since he was first elected in 1991. Quayle sat on the following committees: Courts of Justice, Education and Health, Finance, Rules, and Local Government, for which he is the Chair.