D.A.F.

NL, 1958 to date

Van Doornes Automobielfabriek NV, Eindhoven

The first serious entry by the Netherlands into private-car manufacture since the demise of the Spyker in 1925, the DAF was the product of a firm which had been making commercial trailers since 1928 and built a military 4x4 in 1940. DAF began to make commercial vehicles in 1950, this venture reaching proportions that warranted the opening of a German assembly plant in 1961. The DAF car was announced early in 1958, and went into production a year later. DAF incorporated the ingenious and jerk-free Variomatic transmission, a fully automatic system using a centrifugal clutch and V-belt drive with a limited-slip differential. All four wheels were independently suspended on the DAF car, and power came from a front-mounted 600cc ohv air-cooled 22bhp flat-twin.
With only a simple forward-and-reverse lever the DAF is one of the easiest cars to drive, and its appeal was widened in 1962 with the introduction of the DAF 750 and the DAF Daffodil with 30bhp and 750cc, in which forms maximum speed was boosted from 52 to 64mph. By 1962 60.000 DAF cars had been sold, and two years later production was running at 20.000 units a year. During 1965 the transmission of the DAF was adapted to a light military 4x4 and to a Formula 3 racing car. DAF have done well in rallies, their successes including a team prize in the 1966 Marathon de la Route. The basic DAF car model was still in production in 1967, but was joined by the DAF Type 44, a roomier and more powerful design also with a flat-twin engine and Variomatic drive. Styling was by Michelotti, and with 40bhp available from 844cc, the bigger DAF car was capable of over 75mph. The 55 with 1100cc 4-cylinder Renault engine was introduced in 1968, a DAF sports coupé version following a year later. Group 6 variations on the latter were offered in 1970, the 1440cc type DAF car with twin dual-choke carburetors giving 115mph on 140bhp. The fastest DAF listed in 1972 was the 63bhp DAF Marathon 55 coupé.
For 1973 the DAF 55 was replaced by the DAF 66, still with Renault engine, but with a new centrifugal clutch incorporated in the Variomatic transmission, and a De Dion back axle.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; MCS
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