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DAF 600 in (historical) test - The gentle Heinrich

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Created on January 1, 1960

Text:

Heinz Kranz

Photos:

Zwischengas Archiv

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Archiv

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Zwischengas Archiv

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Archiv

24

This illustration of the innovative Dutchman comes from a sales brochure from 1960.

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DAF 600 (1960) - side view, left

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DAF 600 (1959) - space for five people

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The DAF 600 is an extremely pleasant vehicle that impresses with its well thought-out design and good workmanship.

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DAF 600 - with a face full of character and automatic transmission - Geneva Motor Show 1959

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The DAF 600 promises a lot, but is it any good?

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DAF 600 (1960) - was often ordered in pastel colors

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DAF 600 (1960) - illustration in a sales brochure from 1960

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DAF 600 (1959) - view from diagonally above

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DAF 600 (1959) - what is a DAF with a lady doing alone in the forest?

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DAF 600 (1958) - from the land of windmills

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DAF 600 (1959) - the car comes from the land of windmills

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DAF 600 (1959) - somewhat grim-looking front

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Considering its small dimensions, the Dutchman is surprisingly spacious.

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The trunk is also impressive.

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A nice acquaintance - the small but mighty DAF 600.

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In the DAF, two pedals are, for once, not one too few...

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DAF 600 (1960) - View into the engine compartment

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DAF 600 (1959) - View of the four-stroke boxer engine

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The air-cooled two-cylinder boxer is rather gentle in nature and quite quiet. However, it is better to refrain from daring overtaking maneuvers with the DAF 600.

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DAF 600 - single air-cooled boxer engine - Geneva Motor Show 1959

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DAF 600 (1958) - the technical finesse explained

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The see-through drawing reveals the technology of the DAF.

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This schematic diagram shows how the Variomatic gearbox works.

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DAF 600 (1960) - compact dimensions

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Summary

The DAF 600 was produced in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, from 1959 to 1963 and was much more than just another small car with 600 cubic centimetres of displacement. The in-house automatic transmission called "Variomatic" made driving the sophisticated and tame Dutchman child's play, but the practical test also revealed a few weaknesses. This article quotes an original driving report from 1960 and shows the clever compact car in many historical pictures and sales documents.

This article contains the following chapters

Innovation is followed by questions
Tame two-cylinder engine and surprising interior
Foolproof operation
Situational with weaknesses
Well thought-out design down to the last detail
Great technology without pitfalls?
How does the Variomatic work?
From the female perspective

Estimated reading time: 16min

Preview (beginning of the article)

That's what we called him because of his extremely benign nature. It is mildness and gentleness itself, this little Dutchman from Eindhoven. We have driven many a six-hundred with more temperament, but none as foolproof as the DAF 600. The air-cooled two-cylinder boxer engine starts immediately, even after a frosty night outside, provided you don't forget to hold the choke cable with your right hand while turning the ignition key with your left. The start button jumps back to the half-position as soon as you let it go, giving the engine the right speed for warming up. The idling speed of the engine, which runs with tractor-like smoothness, is a condition for pleasant driving with the DAF. If the engine runs too fast, the gearshift cannot be operated smoothly or the vehicle tends to "creep".

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