Revolution Automobile Museum

Devrim Automobile Museum is a specialized museum located at the TÜRASAŞ (Turkish Rail System Vehicles Industry Corporation) campus in Eskişehir, where Türkiye’s first domestic automobile, the Devrim, was produced and is now displayed. The museum functions as an institution that showcases original artifacts related to the automobile production process and sheds light on the technical history of the Devrim automobile.

^{Devrim Automobile Museum (}Anadolu Agency⁾

The Devrim automobiles were produced in 1961 under the directive of then President Cemal Gürsel at the Eskişehir Railway Works, which was part of the Turkish State Railways (TCDD). Approximately 200 Turkish engineers and workers participated in the project. Within a short period of four and a half months, four prototypes were built and named “Siyah,” “Beyaz,” “Mavi Boncuk,” and “Gecekondu.” One of these automobiles was used during the Republic Day celebrations in Ankara on 29 October 1961 and then returned to Eskişehir. For many years, the vehicle was preserved in a glass-enclosed area within the TÜRASAŞ facilities. Due to growing public interest, it was later relocated under the umbrella of a dedicated museum.

The idea for the museum emerged as a result of intense public interest in the Devrim automobile. A comprehensive restoration process began on 5 September 2017, and the Devrim Automobile Museum was officially opened to the public on 3 March 2018. Since its opening, the museum has been visited by approximately 355,000 people. It was closed for three months due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and resumed operations during the normalization phase.

The vehicle on display at the museum is the Devrim automobile with chassis number 0002 and engine number 0002. All components except the tires and front and rear windows were domestically produced. Technical features of the automobile include a weight of 1,250 kilograms, a maximum speed of 140 kilometers per hour, a side-mounted exhaust pipe, foot-operated long and short headlights, and a manually operated ignition system. For safety reasons, the vehicle is displayed without fuel and with its battery removed.

In addition to the automobile, the museum houses various industrial tools and materials used during the production process. These include a welding machine, drill, lathes, a camera, calipers, compasses, rulers, a drawing table, a model of the automobile made from limestone, spare parts, and the original engine block cast in Sivas.

^{Devrim Automobile Museum (}Anadolu Agency⁾