In 1941, the Danube Aircraft Factory opened on the border of Szigetszentmiklós and Tököl, which produced Messerschmitt dive bombers for the Nazi war machine, and the nearby Tököl Airport was built to serve the test flights of the completed aircraft. During World War II, the complex was bombed several times by Allied air forces, resulting in the deaths of more than forty of the factory's workers, and production ceased or was relocated to Kőbánya.
After the war, Hungary was plagued by, among other things, a severe shortage of vehicles, and trucks were needed for reconstruction efforts. After lengthy consideration, the ruins of the former Danube Aircraft Factory complex were chosen for the creation of a new vehicle factory. Reconstruction work began at the new Csepel Automotive Factory in the spring of 1949, and vehicle production started in February 1950. The first D-350 type truck rolled off the assembly line in April, and by the end of the year, 1666 Csepel trucks had been put into service.
The launch of the Csepel Automotive Factory necessarily boosted several segments of the Hungarian industry, as the factory ordered numerous raw materials and finished products from other domestic factories, thus providing a market for many other Hungarian plants.
The start of the car factory also brought about a rapid growth of the village of Szigetszentmiklós. The construction of a housing estate began on the side of the village facing the Csepel Automotive Factory for the workers of the plant, along with the building of a nursery, kindergarten, and school. In 1949, only six thousand people lived in the settlement, but by 1960, the population had risen to over ten thousand. Further growth led to Szigetszentmiklós being granted the status of a greater village in 1970.
The first two decades of the existence of the Csepel Automotive Factory were determined by the production of trucks. During this time, relying on the original plans for the 350 model, they developed numerous other types of trucks, such as the civilian-use 400 and 700 series, as well as the legendary D-344 for the army and the versatile D-566. The car factory carried out complete development and production, manufacturing not only the chassis but also the main parts such as the engine, axles, gearbox, and steering gear. The cabins were not produced on-site; for a long time, they were manufactured by Ikarus.
According to the road vehicle program announced in 1968, Hungary had to become the largest bus manufacturer among the member countries of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CMEA). For the Csepel Automotive Factory, this meant that they had to stop truck production and completely switch to manufacturing self-propelled chassis for Ikarus' new 200 series buses. The conversion required the restructuring of the factory, the construction of new production halls, and an expansion of the workforce, and by the 1970s, ten thousand people were employed by Csepel Automotive Factory.
By the 1980s, the factory became the largest supplier to Ikarus, manufacturing tens of thousands of chassis for buses delivered to the Soviet Union and other socialist countries. Despite this, truck production continued at Csepel Automotive Factory, and the 750 series vehicles were relatively successful in Hungary.
However, in the late 1980s, the collapse of the CMEA market also marked the decline of Csepel Automotive Factory. After significant downsizing, the factory was liquidated in 1992, and its properties were eventually taken over by the ÁTI-Sziget Industrial Park, which created the thriving complex that exists today. In 2009, in honor of the glorious history of Csepel Automotive Factory, the management of the industrial park established the Museum of Csepel Automotive Factory, which has been open to visitors in its current form since 2014.
Látogatói információk:
2310 Szigetszentmiklós, ÁTI-Sziget Ipari Park, Building 59.
The exhibition can be visited for pre-registered groups of minimum 10 and maximum 30 people. To arrange a visit, please inquire at the Local History Collection for an English language guided tour.
Admission is free!