SHIPS, aircraft, trains, vans – Southampton has produced them all.

From the renowned Spitfire to the iconic Ford Transit, the city has made a huge contribution to the aviation, maritime and motor industries of Great Britain.

But little is known about the history of one particular site before the 1950s.

The Ford Assembly Site in Swaythling was home to Cunliffe Owen aircraft factory and Briggs Motor Parts before the car giant moved in in 1953.

Now a heritage group wants to hear from anyone with information about the site pre-Ford.

And there's also the chance for volunteers to get involved with the 'Transition' project - which will culminate in a big exhibition there in 2018. Volunteers will be trained to dig in the archives and interview people to find out more about the site’s history, with the information uncovered shared in community events, activities and school workshops.

Director of Now Heritage Emma Golby-Kirk, who secured £70k Heritage Lottery funding for the project said: "The site is a well-known, well-connected landmark in the city. In recent years, it came to reflect the Port city’s multi-cultural demographic through the diversity of its workforce, with origins from all around the UK and the world. However, it is also remembered in terms of a more traditional ‘by-gone’ narrative, as a major employer of generations of Southampton’s school-leavers, offering reward and promotion for those who worked hard and showed initiative".

She added that the closure of the Ford site was "deeply felt" by Hampshire's workforce - and wants the project to encourage Southampton communities to explore the past as well as the future of the city's industrial heritage- as well as provoking a "collective sense of excitement".

For more info contact transitionproject2018@gmail.com