DAF Daffodil
Encyclopedia
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...
from 1961 until 1963. It replaced the DAF 600
DAF 600
The DAF 600 is a small family car that was DAF's first production passenger car: it 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...
. 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. The Daffodil was conceived as an export version of the 750, but the market response dictated a speedy demise for the 750 while the better equipped Daffodil fared rather better. The 750 therefore ceased production in 1963 while the Daffodil, the beneficiary of a succession of mild face lifts, remained in production until 1967 when the DAF Daffodil was replaced by the slightly more powerful but otherwise very similar 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....
.
The names
The Daffodil name worked well in some markets, but in the domestic market and 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 33DAF 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....
in 1967 was merely a continuation of an existing line.
The engine
The 746 cc four stroke air cooledAir-cooled engine
Air-cooled engines rely on the circulation of air directly over hot parts of the engine to cool them.-Introduction:Most modern internal combustion engines are cooled by a closed circuit carrying liquid coolant through channels in the engine block and cylinder head, where the coolant absorbs heat,...
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 (65 mph) was claimed. 0-50 MPH time was a speedy 29 seconds, as tested by the Consumers Union in the United States.
Running gear
The DAF 600 had been the first car to have a continuously variable transmissionContinuously 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...
(CVT) system - the innovative 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...
., and the same system was carried over to the 750 and its variants. The DAF Variomatic employs centrifugal weights to shift the transmission and is enhanced by an engine manifold vacuum. The DAF Variomatics were thereby the only cars ever produced which went faster by the simple expedient of gently and gradually releasing the accelerator once top engine speed had been reached. 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. Two separate transmissions ran the two driving wheels, eliminating the need for a differential. The two transmissions could provide different gear ratios, permitting the wheels to rotate at different speeds. The duplication also provided redundancy. If one belt broke, the vehicle could still be driven.
Chronology
Between 1961 and 1967 the mechanical aspects of the car were not significantly changed.1963 marked the withdrawal of the 750 and 30 badges, and the DAF 30 was replaced by the DAF 31. The exterior of the car was modestly reworked with input from Michelotti which involved sharpened angles and more prominent fins
Tailfin
The tailfin era of automobile styling encompassed the 1950s and 1960s, peaking between 1957 and 1960. It was a style that spread worldwide, as car designers picked up styling trends from the US automobile industry where it was the golden epoch of American autodesign.General Motors design chief...
: the interior was also significantly upgraded.
In 1965 the DAF 32 replaced the DAF 31. This upgrade was marked by further limited changes to the body panels, again involving Michelotti whose influence would continue to be seen on DAF passenger cars until the 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...
car assembly business was acquired by Volvo
Volvo
AB Volvo is a Swedish builder of commercial vehicles, including trucks, buses and construction equipment. Volvo also supplies marine and industrial drive systems, aerospace components and financial services...
.
Popular references
The DAF Daffodil gave name to the late 80's/early 90's Manchester Indie band The New Fast Automatic DaffodilsNew Fast Automatic Daffodils
New Fast Automatic Daffodils were an alternative rock group from Manchester, England, active between 1988 and 1995.-History:The band was formed in 1988 by former members of the punk rock group Pariah...
, after an advert for the car, which stated "The New, Fast Daffodil - fully Automatic".