Swindon, with a population of more than 180,000, is located in the county of Wiltshire in the southwest of England, around 120 kilometers west of London. The Cotswold Hills, where the Thames rises, lie to the northwest of the town.

The history of the town dates back to Roman times, when the Romans settled on and around a limestone rock. Later, the Saxons took over this strategically important point. The place is mentioned in the records as Suindune. It is assumed that this name comes either from the Anglo-Saxon swine dune (pig hill) or from the word Sweyn's hill (Sweyn was a local landowner).

Until the mid-18th century, what is now Swindon was little more than a small market town. It was not until the second half of the 19th century that the town gained international recognition in the field of locomotive production, with the development of the world-famous Great Western Rail by engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

Around 1970, the town's largest employer, the railroad company, had to close its production facilities. Today, only the Steam Museum with its original objects bears witness to the heyday of steam locomotives. The redundant railway workers quickly found new work in the numerous newly established companies, such as the internationally renowned MAN, Honda, Motorola and Triumph groups.