Tofaş Bursa Museum of Anatolian Cars

The museum opened in 2002 in a former silk factory. It is the collection of the Tofaş company, which has manufactured cars in Bursa since 1971, collaborating with Fiat and other brands. The city is today an important centre for manufacturing cars and automotive parts. The inspiration for the museum is a chariot of the sixth century BCE, reconstructed together with the tumulus where it was buried with its owner. Ancient stone carvings show images of chariots in action. An important collection of 34 vehicles drawn by horses or oxen includes farm waggons, phaetons and Tartar carriages. Traditional workshops are reconstructed to represent the work of a farrier, a saddlemaker and a coach builder. All the automobiles on show were made by Tofaş. Its first models were the Murat 124 and the Şahin, both licensed by Fiat. More recent are the Fiat Palio, raced in international rally championships, and a 4x4 developed by Tofaş for the Dakar rally. There are also changing exhibitions on automotive themes.