DAF 44
Encyclopedia
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.
Stopping power commensurate with the car's rather leisurely performance came from all-round drum brake
s.
An innovative feature for the time was face-level ventilation with adjustable facia mounted outlets.
The spare wheel was stored under the front hood / bonnet which left more space for luggage at the back and makes the point that the engine was a relatively compact one.
The DAF 44 also provided the underpinnings for the tall-built Swedish specialty vehicle Kalmar KVD 440
("Tjorven").
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.
DAF Trucks
DAF Trucks NV is a Dutch truck manufacturing company and a division of PACCAR. Its headquarters and main plant are in Eindhoven. Cabs and axle assemblies are produced at its Westerlo plant in Belgium...
. It was the first car to be built at the company's new plant at Born
Born (Netherlands)
Born is a town of approximately 6,000 inhabitants in the Dutch municipality of Sittard-Geleen. It has a port on the Julianakanaal . Born is also the site of the car factory Nedcar. It has a zoo....
in Limburg
Limburg (Netherlands)
Limburg is the southernmost of the twelve provinces of the Netherlands. It is located in the southeastern part of the country and bordered by the province of Gelderland to the north, Germany to the east, Belgium to the south and part of the west, andthe Dutch province of North Brabant partly to...
. Styled by Michelotti
Giovanni Michelotti
Giovanni Michelotti was one of the most prolific designers of sports cars in the 20th century. His notable contributions were for Triumph and BMW marques...
, it represented a cautious move upmarket for the company which hitherto had produced, for the passenger car market, only the smaller slower Daffodil
DAF Daffodil
The DAF 750 is a small family car that was manufactured by DAF from 1961 until 1963. It replaced the DAF 600. At the same time as launching the 750, DAF launched the DAF Daffodil which was essentially the same car but with more luxurious fittings and a lot more chrome trim on the outside...
model (subsequently rebadged as the DAF 33
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....
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
Engine displacement
Engine displacement is the volume swept by all the pistons inside the cylinders of an internal combustion engine in a single movement from top dead centre to bottom dead centre . It is commonly specified in cubic centimeters , litres , or cubic inches...
from 746 cc to 844 cc and an increase in claimed output from 28 bhp to 34 bhp. The compression ratio
Compression ratio
The 'compression ratio' of an internal-combustion engine or external combustion engine is a value that represents the ratio of the volume of its combustion chamber from its largest capacity to its smallest capacity...
remained low enough to permit the use of relatively low octane
Octane rating
Octane rating or octane number is a standard measure of the anti-knock properties of a motor or aviation fuel. The higher the octane number, the more compression the fuel can withstand before detonating...
fuel.
Stopping power commensurate with the car's rather leisurely performance came from all-round drum brake
Drum brake
A drum brake is a brake in which the friction is caused by a set of shoes or pads that press against a rotating drum-shaped part called a brake drum....
s.
An innovative feature for the time was face-level ventilation with adjustable facia mounted outlets.
The spare wheel was stored under the front hood / bonnet which left more space for luggage at the back and makes the point that the engine was a relatively compact one.
The DAF 44 also provided the underpinnings for the tall-built Swedish specialty vehicle Kalmar KVD 440
Tjorven (vehicle)
The Kalmar KVD440/441, also variously known as Tjorven or DAF Kalmar, is a delivery van based on the DAF 44, made in Sweden. The vehicle inherited the air-cooled, 844cc boxer engine and Variomatic transmission from the DAF 44....
("Tjorven").
The DAF 44, in common with other DAF cars, featured an innovative continuously variable transmission
Continuously variable transmission
A continuously variable transmission is a transmission that can change steplessly through an infinite number of effective gear ratios between maximum and minimum values. This contrasts with other mechanical transmissions that offer a fixed number of gear ratios...
system, the DAF Variomatic
Variomatic
Variomatic is the stepless, fully automatic transmission of the Dutch car manufacturer DAF, originally developed by Hub van Doorne: this consists of a "V" shaped drive belt and two pulleys, each of two cones, whose effective diameter can be changed so that the "V" belt runs nearer the spindle or...
. 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
DAF 46
The DAF 46 is a small family car that was manufactured by the Dutch company DAF. It was introduced in November 1974 to replace the 44, although at the time it was announced that the two cars would be sold "alongside" one another, suggesting that there were still substantial stocks of the earlier...
, leftover cars continued to be available for some time.