Equipped with CD players, hydraulic steering wheels and drum brakes, Metin Demir’s horse carts are no ordinary wagons.
A native of the Aegean province of Denizli, he is known for having built horse carts for Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II; he now exports the vehicles to many countries, including a special cart worth 80,000 euros that he made for a buyer in Saudi Arabia.
“[A horse’s] clip-clops are the most beautiful melody in the world,” said Demir, who learned his trade in Germany some 40 years ago.
“While I was working abroad, every time I passed the horse cart factory, I would wonder how I could learn to manufacture such carts in my country,” he said. “One day I talked to the foreman and started to work at that factory. I loved what I was doing and I became a foreman eventually.”
It was during this period that the factory manufactured horse carts for Queen Elizabeth II. “We did our best for her by using top-quality materials and workmanship. We created a horse cart worthy of the Queen,” Demir said.
After learning the profession, Demir returned home to Denizli in 1995 and has since developed new techniques in horse-cart manufacturing that have made Turkish carts better known around the world.
No driver’s license necessary
“Horse carts are more valuable than Mercedes for me. [But] I realized that if I don’t equip horse carts with today’s gadgets, this culture will vanish,” he said. “So I’ve begun to add new accessories. We have manufactured horse carts with hydraulic steering wheels, two gears, drum brakes and CD players.”
Despite his love for horses, Demir has also invented and manufactured a hairless carriage that runs on batteries and can reach speeds of up to 50 kilometers per hour while carrying six passengers.
“The horseless carriages have anti-lock braking systems, signal lights, four-lamp brake lights, CD players, leather upholstery, horns, four wheels and folding tops,” he said. “This is a first in the world. As they are not motor vehicles, no driver’s license or vehicle license is necessary. No fuel is needed; therefore, they are environmentally friendly.”
Most of the materials for Demir’s carts come from Turkey, but some are imported, he said, adding that a total of 185 different models have been manufactured so far. He has exported hundreds of “Made in Turkey” horse carts to Britain, German, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, the United States and some African countries