7:54am Wednesday 31st March 2010
By Clare Kennedy
MOTOR giant Ford has reaffirmed it will continue to produce its Transit vans at its Swaythling site up until 2012.
The news was first revealed by the Daily Echo last year when Ford bosses admitted the plan to export production the iconic vehicle were to be shelved due to the recession and tumbling sales.
Reaffirm Fears over the future of the Transit Factory's future first came to light nearly two years ago when the Daily Echo exclusively published a leaked company memo that revealed the factory was under review.
It was later revealed the company planned to reduce output from 75,000 vehicles a year to just 35,000 chassis cabs, cut jobs and export production of the iconic Transit to Turkey.
But now the company has confirmed that the Transit will continue to be produced in Southampton until 2012.
The company's factory currently employs around 500 workers after slashing numbers by half last year.
Earlier this year the new Ford of Britain commercial vehicle director Steve Clary reiterated the company's pledge to produce the current Transit model at Southampton until the next generation Transit model was introduced.
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