Devrim, a name resonating with ‘Revolution’ in Turkish, marks a pivotal moment in Turkey’s automotive history as the country’s first domestically designed and produced automobile. Initiated under the directive of President Cemal Gürsel in 1961, the project aimed to showcase national engineering prowess during the Republic Day celebrations. However, the Devrim car had a rocky start; despite the rapid development and assembly of four prototypes by a team of 24 engineers within just 130 days, the debut was marred by a fuel mishap during the ceremonial ride, which led to the car stalling just meters into its journey. This incident became a source of national humor and critique, overshadowing the technical achievements of the engineers involved.
Despite its initial promise, Devrim was never mass-produced. The factors contributing to its limited production included the lack of a detailed documentation process, insufficient demand in the Turkish automotive market during the early 1960s, and the absence of a robust supplier industry. The project’s termination did not deter future automotive ventures, however, as evident from subsequent initiatives like the Anadol and more recent developments in the Turkish automotive industry, including the launch of Togg, Turkey’s first domestically built electric car.
Today, the legacy of Devrim is preserved in the form of one remaining prototype housed at the TÜLOMSAŞ factory in Eskişehir. This prototype serves as a historical artifact, embodying the aspirations and early challenges of Turkey’s automotive industry. The story of Devrim has also been celebrated in popular culture, notably through the Turkish film “Devrim Arabaları” (“Cars of Revolution”), which dramatizes the intense and patriotic efforts of the engineers behind this ambitious project.
Logo via: By <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Makalp" class="mw-redirect" title="User:Makalp">User:Makalp</a> – <span class="int-own-work" lang="en">Own work</span>, Public Domain, Link
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