Revolution Car: Türkiye's First Domestic Automobile

Devrim Arabası is the first domestically produced automobile in Türkiye. The vehicle was manufactured in 1961 by a team of Turkish engineers and workers within the Turkish State Railways (TCDD). This project stands as a significant example of what the country could achieve using its own resources.

In 1961, under the directive of then President Cemal Gürsel, a task was assigned to produce Türkiye’s first domestic automobile. The project had to be completed in just 129 days. A team of engineers and workers from TCDD was assembled for this mission. The team successfully completed the project by manufacturing the engine, body, and all other components from scratch at the Railway Factory in Eskişehir.

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At the end of the project, a total of four Devrim Arabası vehicles were produced: one black and three cream-colored. These vehicles were transported to Ankara for display during the October 29 Republic Day celebrations. However, during transport by train, the fuel tanks were emptied for safety reasons, and the oversight to refuel them at the celebration site was forgotten. The black Devrim, intended to serve as the presidential vehicle, stalled after moving only a short distance in front of the Grand National Assembly. This incident received widespread coverage in the press of the time and led to the project’s termination. Today, only one of these four vehicles remains, on display at the TÜRASAŞ factory (formerly TÜLOMSAŞ) in Eskişehir, where it was originally built. This vehicle is still operational.