DAF
Two brothers van Doorne set up a workshop together in Eindhoven, in the Netherlands, building trailers. The name DAF comes from van Doorne Aanhangwagen Fabriek , which translates in Dutch to van Doornes trailer makers. By 1950 the DAF company was in the truck making business, and a few years later after some prototype work a new car (the DAF 600) was exhibited at the 1958 Dutch Motor show, and although the press reaction to it was somewhat underwhelming, the low price of this 4 seater "automatic" car was such that DAF took deposits from 3,000 customers! The DAF had a 2 cylinder air cooled Boxer engine capable of propelling the car to just over 55 mph, but the thing that was so different about the DAF was the continuously variomatic transmission (CVT) they had developed, which was ideal for beginner drivers or people not like gear changing. Deliveries of the new DAF car commenced late March of 1959. The DAF 600 with the larger 750 cc engine (introduced in 1961) was called the DAF 750, apparently after complaints that the DAF was unable to tow a caravan properly up Alpine passes! The upmarket version of the DAF 750 was called the Daffodil. By 1966 the engine was enlarged further to 844 cc pushing the top speed to 75mph, a model called the DAF 44. Simultaneously, on introduction of the DAF44 the smaller Daffodil was renamed DAF 33. And while the DAF 44 was in production (1966 to 1974) the the company also introduced the DAF55, fitted with a water cooled 1108cc Renault engine, and still using the twin belt Variomatic transmission, and all this finally evolving into the Daf 66 before the Volvo gradual takeover where the DAF66 became the Volvo 66, but now with a De Dion axle added. By 1974 Volvo owned 75% of DAF stock, all models having been dropped apart from the DAF 66, and the eventual replacement for the 66 was the 300 series Volvo 343.
