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.

In the end of 1954, Hub van Doorne had the idea to use belt drive, just like many of the machines in the factory that were belt-driven, 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 4000 cars were ordered. In 1959, DAF started selling the world's first car with a continuously variable transmission, the small four seater DAF 600. This was the first of a series of models to be released in subsequent years, including the DAF 33, DAF 44, DAF 55 and DAF 66, 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.

cvt

Although Hub van Doorne, one of the original founders of DAF, has been credited with developing the belt-driven variable transmission, the principle for a stepless transmission can be traced back the late 15th century and Leonardo di Vinci. The credit for developing the first operative variable speed transmission goes to Milton Reeves in the late 19th century who produced a version to power a sawmill. Reeves also went on to fit his ‘stepless’ transmission system into a car and Daimler Benz took out the first European patent for an automotive friction-based variable-speed belt transmission in 1886. By the end of the first decade of the 20th century, Zenith Motorcycles were producing a twin-cylinder powered machine equipped with what the company described as the Gradua-Gear system, a much-improved version being used by Rudge-Whitworth in 1912.

The DAF 600 was the first car to utilise Van Doorne’s newfangled transmission and the company marketed the car’s highly advanced clutchless ‘gearbox’ as the Variomatic. In the case of the 600 and a lot of the company’s later models, DAF’s Variomatic transmission featured two sets of pulleys fitted with moveable conical drums driving each rear wheel via a rubber belt.  Vacuum from the engine and centrifugal weights inside the primary and secondary drums (or pulleys) caused the ratios to change up and down continuously according to how fast or slow the engine was running and what load it was under. This translated into an infinite number of ‘gears’ between the highest and lowest ratios. One entertaining, or rather dangerous, quirk was how a DAF Variomatic can travel in reverse as fast as it could in forward gear.

Technically sophisticated CVTs are becoming more popular and the system claims several advantages that make this form of drive appealing both to car owners as well as environmentalists.

600

The DAF 600 is a small family car which was produced by DAF from 1959 to 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 published the first details of the car at the end of 1957.

The 600 was the first production car, after the 1920s Clyno, to have a continuously variable transmission (CVT) system - the innovative DAF Variomatic. The DAF Variomatic employs engine speed, via centrifugal weights, to shift the transmission and is enhanced by an engine manifold vacuum. It was the only car ever produced which went faster by the simple expedient of gently and gradually releasing the accelerator once top speed had been reached. This increased manifold vacuum which helped the variable pulleys shift to an even higher ratio so even though the engine RPM stays the same, the transmission increases the car's speed, in the case of the DAF 600, from 97 km/h to nearly 110 km/h given enough time and level road.

The Variomatic also permitted increased engine braking by operating a switch on the dashboard which reversed the action of the vacuum on the pulley's diaphragm, seeking a lower ratio with increased manifold vacuum.

daffodil

The DAF Daffodil is a small family car that was manufactured by DAF from 1961 until 1967. It replaced the DAF 600. At the same time DAF launched the DAF 750 which was essentially the same car but with less luxurious fittings and less chrome trim on the outside. The Daffodil was conceived as an export version of the 750, market response dictated that the 750 ceased production in 1963 while the Daffodil, benefitting from a succession of mild face lifts, remained in production until 1967. The Daffodil was replaced by the very similar but slightly more powerful DAF 33.

The Daffodil name worked well in some markets, but in Germany the more luxuriously equipped version of the DAF 750 was known as the DAF 30. Upgrades in 1963 and 1965 were marked by name changes to DAF 31 and DAF 32. In these markets the launch of the DAF 33 in 1967 was merely a continuation of an existing line.

The 746 cc four stroke air cooled 2 cylinder Boxer engine had the same stroke as in the 600, but the bore was increased from 76 mm to 85.5 mm. Claimed power output was also increased from 22 bhp  to 30 bhp, and a maximum speed of 105 km/h was claimed. The 0-80 km/h time was 29 seconds, as tested by the Consumers Union in the United States.

The DAF 600 was the first car to have a continuously variable transmission (CVT) system - the innovative DAF Variomatic, the same system was carried over to the 750 and its variants. 

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 Michelotti styled DAF 44 which appeared to compete in virtually the same market segment as the Daffodil-based design; but the 33, its development costs presumably long since amortised, remained in production with its new name. A more luxurious version became available in 1969. Thereafter the car changed very little: however, the 6 volt electrical system was replaced with a 12 volt one in 1972.

The DAF 33, in common with other DAF cars, featured a continuously variable transmission system, the DAF Variomatic.

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 for the company which hitherto had produced, for the passenger car market, only the smaller slower Daffodil model (subsequently rebadged as the DAF 33 to align with the form of nomenclature introduced with the 44).

The 2 cylinder engine would have been familiar to any driver of the less powerful DAF 33, and the bore remained unchanged at 85.5 mm. Stroke was increased to 73.5 mm, however, giving an increase in engine displacement from 746 cc to 844 cc and an increase in claimed output from 28 bhp to 34 bhp. The compression ratio remained low enough to permit the use of relatively low octane fuel.

The DAF 44, in common with other DAF cars, featured an innovative continuously variable transmission system, the DAF Variomatic. In addition to the 2-door saloon, a 2-door estate or panel van version were also available. Production ended in November 1974 after 167,902 had been built. While the 44 was replaced by the short-lived DAF 46, leftover cars continued to be available for some time.

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 no manual transmission available. This feature of all DAF cars was very unusual for its class at the time. The 55 was available as a 2-door saloon, a 3-door estate and a 2-door coupe. In total 164,231 DAF 55s were built.

The 55 was developed to be a more powerful version of the 1966 DAF 44. The redesign was extensive. The saloon was launched at the end of 1967, with the coupe version launched three months later, in March 1968. The coupe was overall more elegant than the saloon, featuring a lower and gently sloping roof line, pillarless doors and a more upscale interior. In September 1968 the estate version became available.

In 1971 the factory version of this package was introduced, simply called the 55 Marathon. This did feature an upgraded suspension, and had a 63 bhp 1108 cc engine, the BR110. This raised the top speed to 145 km/h. The 55 Marathon featured wider steel wheels, exterior striping and a brake booster was added for safety and comfort. The Marathon was available as a saloon or a coupe.

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 name.

The 66 was available as a 2-door saloon, a 2-door coupé and a 3-door estate. It featured the unique Variomatic belt-driven continuously variable transmission. In total 146,297 DAF 66s were built. The 66 was developed to be an evolution of the 1967 DAF 55. The redesign was mainly cosmetic.

At introduction the customer could choose from 'De Luxe', 'Super Luxe' and 'Marathon' trim levels. In 1973 the '1300 Marathon' replaced the original Marathon. It featured a 1289cc 57 bhp  version of the Renault C-series inline 4 engine used in all 66s.

kini

There is only one of DAF’s so-called Kini cars in existence. DAF engineers built the small, roofless car with no doors in 1967 as a gift to Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus to celebrate Willem-Alexander’s birth. After being on display at the DAF Museum for several years, Willem-Alexander will drive it again during his King’s. The car’s unique design was intended to allow the royals to enjoy warm weather journeys.

The quirky styling isn’t to everyone’s tastes but, as a beach car, its quite original. It is now housed in the DAF museum in Eindhoven. The DAF Kini Beach Car was cleary inspired by the FIAT Shellette which was also designed by Michelotti.

66 ya

In the early 1970s, DAF developed a military version based on the civilian DAF 66. This two-wheel drive order vehicle was intended as complement to the Nekaf M38A1 and DKW Munga. Despite the low ground clearance and the rear-wheel drive, the DAF turned out to have reasonable driving characteristics off the beaten track. The low own weight and the uncomplicated operation certainly played a role in this.

The prototypes were made based on the DAF 44 and DAF 55. In 1970 the DAF 44-YA was presented, powered by an 844 cc 2-cylinder engine. The power source in the 730 kg car delivered 40 hp.

The second and third prototypes were made on the basis of the DAF 55. These vehicles were equipped with a 4 cylinder 1108 cc Renault engine of 50 hp. This brought the DAF's own weight to 820 kg. This power unit was also used in the production version.

In 1974 and 1975, a total of 1201 DAF 66-YA vehicles were delivered to the Ministry of Defence. The courier cars were distributed between the Royal Netherlands Army (1,185 copies) and the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee (16 copies). Other army units did not use the DAF 66-YA.

With ever increasing competition, it was getting harder to go it alone.  The Swedish company, Volvo, had also been looking to partner with another manufacturer, especially with the looming energy and oil crisis.  Volvo only had their 140/240 large car range, and time was running short to consider designing a smaller car.
After much negotiation and time, Volvo took the majority shareholding of DAF Cars.  DAF Trucks was kept as a separate company.  (Over the years, DAF Trucks also went through many changes of ownership)
Volvo soon launched the 66 in 1975 which was basically a DAF 66 but with minor mechanical and trim changes.  The most obvious was the fitting of large rubber bumpers and the use of DAF Marathon high-backed front seats, and the fitting of rear seat belts.  The car was still only ever made with the Variomatic transmission, but Volvo changed the gear selector lever to be "more conventional".  I.e. using the "PRND" that would be familiar to drivers of other automatic cars.  It was available in the saloon and estate body designs.  Sadly, they chose not to use the shapely coupé body.

volvo 66

The Volvo 66 sprang directly from the DAF 66, which was originally styled by Giovanni Michelotti. The compact car was introduced in August 1975, almost exactly a year after Volvo bought DAF, and before production of the Volvo 300 Series began.

The Volvo 66 was known for its continuously variable transmission, the Variomatic. The Volvo version of the car was slightly restyled and given larger bumpers compared with those of the original DAF model. Although this was in keeping with Volvo's emphasis on safety, it also increased its cost of production.

The Volvo 66 was available as a two-door saloon and three-door estate, whilst the two-door DAF 66 Coupé was dropped, and therefore was never sold as a Volvo.

The other major features in which the Volvo 66 differs from the DAF 66 are also mostly safety related. It has different seats featuring headrests, a safety steering wheel, steel side-impact bars in the doors, a declutching servo which enabled the driver to change gear with the choke engaged (In the older DAF models this was not possible, because the increased idle caused the centrifugal clutch to engage). The Volvo 66 also has a 'park' mode in the CVT, which locks the driveline. From 1977 the estate version featured a window wiper on the bootlid. Volvo produced roughly 106,000 units of both the saloon and estate 66. The majority were sold in continental Europe rather than in Sweden, where the car was never accepted by Volvo buyers.

tough daf

DAFs had considerable success in the world of racing and rallying.  DAF entered events partly to test the endurance of the Variomatic and the cars in general.

But also. because of the easy nature of the transmission, there was a bit of a perception and image issue with some people - i.e. the "little old lady car" syndrome, which was very unfair.
One of the greatest achievements was taking part in the 1968 London-Sydney Marathon.  Two DAF 55s entered and completed this gruelling event.  If anyone had been in any doubt as to how capable DAFs and the Variomatic were, then this would have proved them wrong.
To commemorate the success, DAF launched Marathon versions of the 55 and then the 66.
And in 1993, the event was run again and two DAF 55s were entered.  One was one of the original cars from 1968, and the other was one specially built for the event.  This car again finished the event and can be seen in the DAF Museum in Eindhoven

Tour de Corse 1972  Boucles de Spa 1973  12 Uren van Yperen Belgie 1974  TULPEN RALLY 1974     Horneland Rally 1973    Monte Carlo Rally 1973   SLS Rally 1973   Tour de Corse 1973  Rallye du Petrole 1974  SLS Rally 1974  STAR Rally 1975   Criterium Lucien Biachi  1973  RAC Rally Engeland 1973  12-Uren van Ronse 1975   19e Tour de France Automobile 1974   Claude Laurent Circuit Chamonix 1974    Rally van Noord Limburg (B) 1976     Rallye de Portugal 1975

f3

To prove the worth of their system DAF went F3 racing, they started by fitting the system to an Alexis Mk5 chassis for testing and then racing. Initially there were problems in that belts that had been designed for road use weren't suitable for competition stresses and strains but this problem was gradually overcome. Despite the Alexis chassis not being state of the art there was enough promise shown to consider the project worth further development.

For 1966 a Brabham BT18 was purchased and adapted to try the transmission in a known competitive car. Results were promising with a number of top six finishes, Mike Beckwith took the best result, a third at Zolder.

For 1967 the Chequered Flag team built a DAF chassis that was designed by Chas Beattie along similar lines to a Brabham. The car showed flashes of promise but all the cars fitted with the Variomatic transmissions suffered from the belt system absorbing more power than a standard gearbox and in the days of the 1-litre engine the loss of even a few bhp was critical.

For 1968, their final year in F3, a pair of Tecnos were suitably modified and raced. Several good results were obtained including a of seconds for Mike Beckwith at Zolder and Jarama. At the end of the year their point proven DAF left F3 racing.

prototypes