An automatically operating unloading system for unloading an at least partially assembled vehicle from an assembly-line overhead conveyor vehicle carrier is provided. The vehicle carrier includes four hanger arms for supporting the vehicle from underneath, and ends of the hanger arms are pivotally articulated about a perpendicular axis in a lockable manner. The automatically operating unloading system includes at least one rail at a side of a flat conveying system and a front hanger arm manipulator and a rear hanger arm manipulator movably arrangeable on the at least one rail. Each of the front and rear hanger arm manipulators are equipped with at least one controllable actuator. The automatically operating unloading system further includes a controllable drive unit for moving the manipulators along the rails and an electronic control unit configured to control the actuators of the front and rear hanger arm manipulators.