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DAF Trucks is a Dutch truck manufacturing company and a division of Paccar. Its headquarters and main plant are in
Eindhoven Eindhoven () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of North Brabant of which it is its largest. With a population of 238,326 on 1 January 2022,Cabs and
axle An axle or axletree is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to the vehicle, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, beari ...
assemblies are produced at its Westerlo plant in Belgium. Some of the truck models sold with the DAF brand are designed and built by Leyland Trucks at its Leyland plant in England.


History

In 1928, Hubert "Hub" van Doorne founded the company as ''Commanditaire Vennootschap Hub van Doorne's Machinefabriek''. His co-founder and investor was A. H. Huenges, managing director of a brewery. Van Doorne had repaired Huenges' car several times, and Huenges, pleased with his work, offered to finance him in business. Hub started to work in a small workshop on the grounds of the brewery. In 1932, the company, by then run by Hub and his brother, Wim van Doorne, changed its name to ''Van Doorne's Aanhangwagen Fabriek'' (Van Doorne's Trailer Factory), abbreviated to ''DAF''. Huenges left the company in 1936 and the DAF company was then completely in the hands of the van Doorne brothers. DAF developed the
Trado The Trado was a truck manufactured by DAF in the Netherlands. It was named after the co-founder of DAF Hubertus van Doorne and captain engineer Piet van der Trappen (Trappen — Doorne). Design The Trado consisted of a leaf-springed bo ...
conversions to convert 4×2 Ford trucks to an off-road 6×4 drive. One of DAF's few armoured vehicles, the M39 Pantserwagen, used developments of this Trado drivetrain. M39 production came too late for
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
– in the invasion of the Netherlands (1940) only three saw combat. After World War II luxury cars and trucks were very scarce. This meant a big opportunity for DAF. In 1949, the company started making
truck A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame constructi ...
s, trailers and buses, changing its name to ''Van Doorne's Automobiel Fabriek'' (Van Doorne's Automobile Factory). The first lorry model was the
DAF A30 Daf ( fa, دف) also known as Dâyere and Riq is a Middle Eastern (mainly Iranian) frame drum musical instrument, used in popular and classical music in South and Central Asia. It is also used in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Iran, Uz ...
. Through the 1950s, DAF was a major supplier to the re-equipping of the Dutch Army's softskin vehicles, with models such as the
DAF YA-126 Daf ( fa, دف) also known as Dâyere and Riq is a Middle Eastern (mainly Iranian) frame drum musical instrument, used in popular and classical music in South and Central Asia. It is also used in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Iran, Uz ...
and
DAF YA-328 Daf ( fa, دف) also known as Dâyere and Riq is a Middle Eastern (mainly Iranian) frame drum musical instrument, used in popular and classical music in South and Central Asia. It is also used in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Iran, Uz ...
'Dikke Daf'. These used the all-wheel drive H-drive developed from the Trado conversions. In late 1954, Hub van Doorne had the idea to use
belt drive A belt is a loop of flexible material used to link two or more rotating shafts mechanically, most often parallel. Belts may be used as a source of motion, to transmit power efficiently or to track relative movement. Belts are looped over pulle ...
n
continuously variable transmission A continuously variable transmission (CVT) is an automatic transmission that can change seamlessly through a continuous range of gear ratios. This contrasts with other transmissions that provide a limited number of gear ratios in fixed steps. ...
s, like so many belt-driven machines in factories, to drive road vehicles. In 1955, DAF produced its first drafts of a car belt drive system. Over the next few years, the design was developed and refined. In February 1958, DAF demonstrated a small belt-driven four-seater car at the Dutch car show (the AutoRAI). The public reaction was very positive and 4,000 cars were ordered. In 1959, DAF started selling the world's first car with a
continuously variable transmission A continuously variable transmission (CVT) is an automatic transmission that can change seamlessly through a continuous range of gear ratios. This contrasts with other transmissions that provide a limited number of gear ratios in fixed steps. ...
, the small four seater
DAF 600 The DAF 600 is a small family car produced by DAF from 1959 until 1963. It was DAF's first production passenger car. The 600 was first presented at the Amsterdam Motor Show in February 1958 and was in production by 1959, although the firm had pub ...
. This was the first of a series of models to be released in subsequent years, including the
DAF 33 The DAF 33 is a compact saloon car produced by the DAF company of Eindhoven, in the Netherlands between 1967 and 1974. Outwardly and technically it differed little from its predecessor, the DAF Daffodil. 1966 had seen the introduction of the M ...
,
DAF 44 The DAF 44 is a small family car that was introduced in September 1966 by the Dutch company DAF. It was the first car to be built at the company's new plant at Born in Limburg. Styled by Michelotti, it represented a cautious move upmarket f ...
,
DAF 55 The DAF 55 is a small family car produced by the Dutch company DAF from December 1967 to September 1972. At that time it was replaced with the DAF 66. All 55s featured the unique Variomatic belt-driven continuously variable transmission, with n ...
and
DAF 66 The DAF 66 is a small family car produced by the Dutch company DAF from September 1972 to 1976. It was the successor of the DAF 55 and was itself superseded by the reworked Volvo 66. The DAF 66 was the last four-cylinder car to feature the DAF n ...
, all using the innovative Variomatic transmission system. In 1967, DAF opened a new plant in Born for car production. The 44 was the first model to be produced there. In 1972,
International Harvester The International Harvester Company (often abbreviated by IHC, IH, or simply International ( colloq.)) was an American manufacturer of agricultural and construction equipment, automobiles, commercial trucks, lawn and garden products, household e ...
of
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
bought a 33% stake in DAF (with the Dutch government holding 25% and the Van Doorne family holding the remaining 42%), forming a joint venture. This agreement lasted until 1981. DAF sold its passenger car division, along with what is now the Nedcar factory in Born, in 1975 to the Swedish company Volvo Cars, leaving DAF to concentrate on its successful line of trucks. In 1987, DAF merged with the Leyland Trucks division of Rover Group, and in June 1989 was floated on the Dutch and
London Stock Exchange London Stock Exchange (LSE) is a stock exchange in the City of London, England, United Kingdom. , the total market value of all companies trading on LSE was £3.9 trillion. Its current premises are situated in Paternoster Square close to St Pau ...
s as
DAF NV DAF NV (originally DAF BV) was a holding company formed in April 1987, when DAF Trucks and the Leyland Trucks division of the Rover Group merged. In February 1993, it was placed in receivership. History DAF BV was formed on 6 April 1987, when t ...
. The new company traded as
Leyland DAF Leyland DAF was a commercial vehicle manufacturing company based in Leyland, United Kingdom, and a subsidiary of DAF NV. In February 1993, Leyland DAF was placed into receivership. History Leyland DAF was formed in February 1987, when the ...
in the United Kingdom, and as DAF elsewhere. DAF Bus was split off in 1990 to become a part of
United Bus United Bus was a bus manufacturing group created by DAF Bus and Bova (both from the Netherlands) in 1989. It was later joined by Den Oudsten (Netherlands), Optare (UK), and DAB (Denmark).management buyout A management buyout (MBO) is a form of acquisition in which a company's existing managers acquire a large part, or all, of the company, whether from a parent company or individual. Management-, and/or leveraged buyout became noted phenomena o ...
with the business branded DAF Trucks. In October 1996 Paccar acquired DAF Trucks. DAF Trucks and Leyland Trucks were rejoined in June 1998, when Paccar also acquired Leyland Trucks. On 9 January 2012, Paccar installed the cornerstone of the new plant in the city of
Ponta Grossa Ponta Grossa () is a municipality in the state of Paraná, southern Brazil. The estimated population is 355,336 according to official data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics and it is the 4th most populous city in Paraná ...
, in the state of Paraná, Brazil. DAF now has a net worth of 1.7 billion dollars


Car business

The first passenger car, the
DAF 600 The DAF 600 is a small family car produced by DAF from 1959 until 1963. It was DAF's first production passenger car. The 600 was first presented at the Amsterdam Motor Show in February 1958 and was in production by 1959, although the firm had pub ...
, was presented to the public in February 1958. It featured unitary steel construction, with a front mounted, air cooled two cylinder boxer engine driving the rear wheels through a centrifugal clutch and the Variomatic CVT transmission. The way this was constructed eliminated the need for a differential, with the drivebelts taking up the difference of speed in turns. This acted as a limited slip differential. The car had independent suspension all round, with
MacPherson strut The MacPherson strut is a type of automotive suspension system that uses the top of a telescopic damper as the upper steering pivot. It is widely used in the front suspension of modern vehicles, and is named for American automotive engineer Ear ...
s and a transverse
leaf spring A leaf spring is a simple form of spring commonly used for the suspension in wheeled vehicles. Originally called a ''laminated'' or ''carriage spring'', and sometimes referred to as a semi-elliptical spring, elliptical spring, or cart spring, i ...
at the front, and a coil sprung semi trailing arm design at the rear. The first 600s rolled off the production line in the following year. The next model was the 750, featuring a larger twin. Later, DAF produced a more luxurious type called the
Daffodil ''Narcissus'' is a genus of predominantly spring flowering perennial plants of the amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae. Various common names including daffodil,The word "daffodil" is also applied to related genera such as '' Sternbergia'', ''Is ...
, divided into three models assigned the numbers DAF 30, DAF 31 and DAF 32. The designation 32 was changed to 33 upon the 1966 release of the 44, a larger middle class vehicle designed by
Giovanni Michelotti Giovanni Michelotti (6 October 1921 – 23 January 1980) was one of the most prolific designers of sports cars in the 20th century. His notable contributions were for Ferrari, Lancia, Maserati and Triumph marques. He was also associated with t ...
. The 44 featured a completely new design aesthetically as well as mechanically, but was of the same layout as the "A types" (the 600, 750, 30, 31, 32 and 33), with the main difference being its two cylinder engine, and its full swingaxle rear axle design as opposed to the A type semi trailing arms. The 1968
DAF 55 The DAF 55 is a small family car produced by the Dutch company DAF from December 1967 to September 1972. At that time it was replaced with the DAF 66. All 55s featured the unique Variomatic belt-driven continuously variable transmission, with n ...
carried a bigger water cooled OHV four cylinder engine derived from the Renault 8 Cleon engine. Its body design was altered from the 44 by a new front which accommodated the longer engine and radiator, bigger taillights, and a more plush interior. The front suspension was changed from a transverse leaf spring to MacPherson struts with torsion springs and an antiroll bar. The
DAF 66 The DAF 66 is a small family car produced by the Dutch company DAF from September 1972 to 1976. It was the successor of the DAF 55 and was itself superseded by the reworked Volvo 66. The DAF 66 was the last four-cylinder car to feature the DAF n ...
was introduced as a successor to the 55. It featured new, boxy styling of the front, and a new rear axle design. The two drive belts now powered a differential, and the axle was changed from a swingaxle design to a leaf sprung de Dion axle. It was a major improvement over the (tricky) handling of the swing axles of the earlier 33, 44 and 55 models.
Volvo The Volvo Group ( sv, Volvokoncernen; legally Aktiebolaget Volvo, shortened to AB Volvo, stylized as VOLVO) is a Swedish multinational manufacturing corporation headquartered in Gothenburg. While its core activity is the production, distributio ...
purchased a 33 percent stake in DAF in December 1972, with the intent of taking a larger interest. They increased their holdings to 75% on 1 January 1975, taking over the company and the Nedcar plant. Volvo dropped the 33 and 44 models, and later rebadged the
DAF 66 The DAF 66 is a small family car produced by the Dutch company DAF from September 1972 to 1976. It was the successor of the DAF 55 and was itself superseded by the reworked Volvo 66. The DAF 66 was the last four-cylinder car to feature the DAF n ...
as the Volvo 66, with bigger bumpers and a safety steering wheel. The DAF 46 was developed with Volvo's assistance, and was basically a 44 with the rear axle of a 66 and a single belt Variomatic (half the 66's transmission). A big weakness of this system is that a failed drive belt would cripple the car. The last DAF design, codenamed P900, initially intended to be the DAF 77, was developed during the transition to Volvo ownership and was ultimately launched as the Volvo 300 series in 1976, firstly as the Volvo 343 three door hatchback with the Variomatic transmission. After initial slow sales, the range was expanded into the 340/360, with a five-door variant and the availability of manual transmission, and the 340/360 range became a sales success, eventually surpassing 1.3 million units by the time production ceased in 1991. The subsequent Volvo 440/460/480 and the first generation S40/V40 models were also made at the Nedcar plant, until Volvo sold its interest to
Mitsubishi Motors is a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.VDL Nedcar, and contract manufactures certain
Mini The Mini is a small, two-door, four-seat car, developed as ADO15, and produced by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and its successors, from 1959 through 2000. Minus a brief hiatus, original Minis were built for four decades and sold during ...
models for BMW.


Prototypes and special cars

For a small company, DAF made a huge number of prototypes. Also, famous coachbuilders like
Giovanni Michelotti Giovanni Michelotti (6 October 1921 – 23 January 1980) was one of the most prolific designers of sports cars in the 20th century. His notable contributions were for Ferrari, Lancia, Maserati and Triumph marques. He was also associated with t ...
and OSI made cars based on DAF mechanicals. For instance, the OSI City Car, which turned into a miniature. There was also Michelotti's "Shellette" beach car, which was later modified to use Fiat 850 underpinnings. The Dutch Royal Family used one of these at their
Porto Ercole Porto Ercole () is an Italian town located in the municipality of Monte Argentario, in the Province of Grosseto, Tuscany. It is one of the two major towns that form the township, along with Porto Santo Stefano. Its name means "Port Hercules". ...
summer residence.


Truck business

DAF produced their first
truck A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame constructi ...
, the A30, in 1949. This truck was upgraded in the following years. Their first attempt into the international market was a failure, the 2000DO. Their next truck was the 1964 2600, which became a big seller with its well equipped but practical cabin. They also produced a so-called torpedo front tractor. In the 1970s, a new modular tilting cab called the F218 was introduced on the F1600/F2000 range of vehicles. Three years later, the wider F241, which featured DAF's characteristic three wiper windscreen, was introduced as the DAF 2800. This design lasted until the introduction of the 95 style cab in 1987. There was also a lighter, narrower version called the 'F198 which was introduced in 1972 on the F1200 and F1400, but this short lived model was replaced after only three years. In 1984, DAF truck production was 13,645; this increased to 14,382 in calendar year 1985. DAF was also one of the first to introduce an intercooled
turbocharged In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pr ...
diesel engine The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-cal ...
into their trucks, which in these years became very evident with their 3600. Their largest six cylinder turbodiesel was based on the old Leyland O.680 motor. It was to be DAF's standard large engine long into the nineties. DAF's 95 series was launched in 1987, and quickly gained the coveted 'Truck of The Year' award. The 95 featured an all new cab developed jointly with ENASA of Spain, a revised version of the 11.6-litre ATI engine, rated at 310, 350, and 380 bhp, and 16 speed
ZF Friedrichshafen ZF Friedrichshafen AG, also known as ZF Group, originally ''Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen'', and commonly abbreviated to ZF (ZF = "Zahnradfabrik" = "Cogwheel Factory"), is a German car parts maker headquartered in Friedrichshafen, in the south- ...
gearbox. On the Continent
Eaton's The T. Eaton Company Limited, later known as Eaton's, was a Canadian department store chain that was once the largest in the country. It was founded in 1869 in Toronto by Timothy Eaton, an immigrant from what is now Northern Ireland. Eaton's grew ...
Twinsplitter gearbox was an option. A full range of axle configurations were offered, to suit every operating requirement. Much attention was paid to soundproofing; the gearlinkage for example was telescopic, whilst in-cab noise levels on the 95 put many luxury saloons to shame. An update in 1991 saw new power ratings of 329, 364, and 401 Bhp; – a 430 Bhp variant, along with low deck tractor unit models and revised interior trim, were introduced in the spring of 1992. Two years later, after an intensive study of the ultra long haul market sector, DAF unveiled the 95.500 Super Spacecab at the 1994 RAI show. The 95 series cabin had gained height and length, and sat atop
Cummins Cummins Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and distributes engines, filtration, and power generation products. Cummins also services engines and related equipment, including fuel systems, controls, air ...
' 14-litre N14, rated at 507 bhp. ZF's new Aluminium cased 16S221 gearbox was fitted, with optional Intarder. An innovation was the hydraulic gearshift developed with Konsberg of Norway. Within an overall height of 3.85m, the Super boasted an interior height of 2.25m, a luxury bunk with generous stowage space underneath, and a full range of options included microwave, fridge, and a television/video system. The 95.500 was available as a 4x2 tractor or drawbar rigid, with LHD only, though the Super Spacecab was available on 11.6-litre engined models. The 95.500 is now a very rare truck, which is surprising given the original list price of £87,650. The basic cab design remains in production to this day, latterly as the 95XF and now the XF105, although both these developments of the original 95 are totally different machines under the skin. Other vehicles in the DAF range have included the inherited from Leyland Trucks Roadrunner (Badged DAF 600, 800, 1000 on the Continent) which evolved into the 45 Series, the cab of which was used on the 18 ton gross 55, also as a military spec 4×4. An all new medium to heavyweight line up debuted in the end of 1992, the 65, 75 and 85 utilising the same wedge shaped cab. Powered by DAF's , and engines, some novel styling details featured, while the 85 Series' cab sat higher on the chassis to clear the WS engine. A short lived model was the 1990 to 1993 80 Series, using the T45 Roadtrain cab acquired from the Leyland Trucks takeover, fitted with the ATI driveline. Also offered for a short period was the 3200, basically a remodelled 2800 with the corporate style, three bar grille. There is a DAF LF45 hybrid version, which was presented by DAF at the IAA 2010 in Hannover.


Tatra

In August 2011, DAF announced it had built up a 19% stake in Tatra, which will use DAF cabs and Paccar engines. DAF dealers will sell Tatra off-road trucks.


Motorsport


Cars

DAF cars had the image of being slow. The company tried to change this image with entries in rallies and races, such as their entry in the
London–Sydney Marathon The London–Sydney Marathon was a car rally from the United Kingdom to Australia. It was first run in 1968, a second event by the same organizers was run in 1977 and a third in 1993 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the original. Three fur ...
. They were pioneers with continuously variable automatic transmission called Variomatic. A DAF car was used in Albie Mangle's "World Safari" movie of 1977.


Truck racing

*1980s: DAF trucks started competing in the Dakar Rally, winning in
1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C ...
,
1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...
and 1987. In the later years, they competed with a twin engine trucks: the 1986 TurboTwin, the 1987 TurboTwin II and the 1988 X1. The later producing a combined power output of . *1988: Two trucks were entered into the Paris-Dakar rally: the X1 and X2. Jan de Rooy's lorry was running third overall, beating the
Peugeot 405 The Peugeot 405 is a large family car released by the French automaker Peugeot in July 1987, and which continues to be manufactured under licence outside France, having been discontinued in Europe in 1997. It was voted European Car of the Year fo ...
T16's on speed, when DAF's other lorry, driven by Theo van de Rijt, was involved in a
crash Crash or CRASH may refer to: Common meanings * Collision, an impact between two or more objects * Crash (computing), a condition where a program ceases to respond * Cardiac arrest, a medical condition in which the heart stops beating * Couch ...
. His co driver Kees Van Loevezijn was fatally injured, and the other two occupants of the lorry narrowly escaped the same fate. DAF withdrew from the event following the crash. *1996: DAF started competing in the
European Truck Racing Championship The FIA European Truck Racing Championship is a motorsport truck road racing series for semi-tractors which is sanctioned to the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA; en, Internati ...
series, first not very successful, but by 1999, they almost became champions. Then to everyone's surprise, it withdrew. *2002: DAF competed in the Dakar rally, with Jan de Rooy and his son Gerard. *2003: DAF competed in the Dakar rally, winning numerous stages before Gerard de Rooy crashed. *2004: DAF competed in the Dakar rally, powering six racelorrys. Jan en Gerard de Rooy, the team Tridec, The team Hans Bekx with two trucks and the GINAF Rally Power team (Note that four trucks were built by DAF, two by
GINAF GINAF (legally GINAF Trucks Nederland BV) is a Dutch truck manufacturer which produces trucks mainly for heavy duty off-road transport, construction and agricultural work. About 250 trucks are made each year in the company's factory in Veenenda ...
). *2005: Hans Bekx almost finished second overall in the lorry division, before being removed from the competition because of an irregularity, much to the surprise of the (mostly Dutch) fans. *2006: Jan and Gerard de Rooij were excluded from the Dakar rally because of paperwork issues.


Current models

* CF series * XF series * LF series * XG series


See also

*
DAF NV DAF NV (originally DAF BV) was a holding company formed in April 1987, when DAF Trucks and the Leyland Trucks division of the Rover Group merged. In February 1993, it was placed in receivership. History DAF BV was formed on 6 April 1987, when t ...
*
GINAF GINAF (legally GINAF Trucks Nederland BV) is a Dutch truck manufacturer which produces trucks mainly for heavy duty off-road transport, construction and agricultural work. About 250 trucks are made each year in the company's factory in Veenenda ...
* Leyland Trucks *
Leyland DAF Leyland DAF was a commercial vehicle manufacturing company based in Leyland, United Kingdom, and a subsidiary of DAF NV. In February 1993, Leyland DAF was placed into receivership. History Leyland DAF was formed in February 1987, when the ...
*
Pegaso Troner The Pegaso Troner made its debut at the 1987 Barcelona Motor show and was to be the last truck model developed by the Spanish manufacturer. Built at Pegaso's Barajas plant, the Troner featured the all-new Cabtec cab developed jointly with DAF Tru ...
*
VDL Bus & Coach VDL Bus & Coach is a Netherlands based bus manufacturer. It is an amalgamation of several bus building companies within the VDL Groep. VDL Bus & Coach has manufacturing plants in Belgium and the Netherlands. By 2018 VDL Bus & Coach sold 500 elec ...


References


Notes


Bibliography

* *


External links

*
Daf Club Nederland
Official Dutch Daf and other variomatic cars owners club
The (official) DAF museum, Eindhoven
''(site in Dutch)'' – complete with "DAFeteria" for refreshments
DAF Oldtimer Truck Club websiteClassic DAF websiteDAF Lorry InformationUKs Largest DAF Dealer GroupCommercial Motor – launch of DAF 95 August 1987
{{DEFAULTSORT:Daf Trucks Companies based in Eindhoven Paccar Truck manufacturers of the Netherlands Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1928 Volvo Group Dutch companies established in 1928 Westerlo Defence companies of the Netherlands