DAF
(1951 - 2001)
Brand:
Country:
Netherlands
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Car articles about DAF by year
The magazine 'hobby' described the Daf 600 Variomatic as a "remarkable outsider on the small car market", which it subjected to intensive scrutiny even before exports began in 1958. And it was impressed. This vehicle report reproduces the original wording of the detailed article at the time and is extensively illustrated with historical images and two sales brochures from the period. Interesting not only for DAF fans!
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.
In 1960, hobby car editor Heinz Kranz set out to meticulously compare the entry-level car class. Using a sophisticated scoring system and a great deal of meticulousness, he looked at driving performance, appearance, practicality and cost and ranked the small cars. From today's perspective, it is particularly interesting that the Fiat 500 and Citroën 2 CV ended up at the bottom of the table, but were the most successful exponents in this class, as they were built until 1975 or even 1990, when the comparison winners had not been on the production line for at least 10 years. This article reproduces the original article and shows the vehicles compared in historical photos and brochures.
When the Dutch company DAF presented its small car in 1958, the experts were skeptical. The technical concept was too unusual, the manufacturer too inexperienced. However, comfort-oriented car buyers in particular found the DAF 600 very appealing and with its successor, the DAF 750, the performance and comfort requirements of Central Europeans were also met and the small car was able to continue its triumphal march in our latitudes. This vehicle report portrays an extensively restored DAF 750 Daffodil and tells its story in detail, including original test reports.
The truck manufacturer from Eindhoven had not yet hit the bull's eye with the DAF 600 in 1959. Although the idea of the Variomatic was good, its implementation in the passenger car was not yet fully developed. This changed in 1961 when the revised successor, the Daffodil, was launched. With its continuously variable belt transmission, the 26 hp little car offered the driving comfort of a large American, at least in city traffic. This historical test report explains how the Variomatic works and identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the DAF Daffodil.
A tried and tested car was given a new look in 1967. Because the Renault engine needed water cooling, the DAF 55 was given a radiator grille as an adaptation of the design created by Giovanni Michelotti. And because the brakes came from Germany, the DAF could go down in history as a genuine European car. Heinz Kranz reported on how it drove in a detailed driving report for the magazine 'hobby' in 1968, which is reproduced in this report.
Suppose you have You have 7000 marks in the bank and a soft spot in your heart for coupés, how can you combine the one with the other? Well, with 7000 Marks you are a coupé candidate who is by no means spared the agony of choice! How would you like it? Sporty, automatic, family-friendly, rally-like? You can have it all in the variants we want to present here... However, in the selection of Fiat 850 Coupé, DAF 55 Coupé, Opel Rallye Kadett and Ford Capri tested, the elegant and sporty Capri comes out on top. The details can be found in the comparison test from 1969.
The DAF 55 was a real car with a real engine and really good driving performance. Designed by Giovanni Michelotti, the DAF was even beautifully shaped. The car was also available in three body variants: As a sedan, an estate and a coupé. It was powered by a 1100cc Renault engine. However, the fact that a DAF was beautiful, reasonably fast and even desirable did not seem to be a matter of course at the beginning of the unusual car manufacturer's history. A DAF 55 Marathon from 1971 proves that it was possible.
Current market prices for DAF
2-Door Sedan, 21 PS, 590 cm3
Pickup Truck, 21 PS, 590 cm3
2-Door Sedan, 29 PS, 746 cm3
2-Door Sedan, 29 PS, 746 cm3
2-Door Sedan, 29 PS, 746 cm3
2-Door Sedan, 29 PS, 746 cm3
2-Door Sedan, 35 PS, 764 cm3
2-Door Sedan, 21 PS, 746 cm3
2-Door Sedan, 32 PS, 746 cm3
2-Door Sedan, 39 PS, 844 cm3
Station Wagon, 39 PS, 844 cm3
2-Door Sedan, 39 PS, 844 cm3
2-Door Sedan, 44 PS, 1108 cm3
null, 44 PS, 1108 cm3
2-Door Sedan, 54 PS, 1108 cm3
Coupe, 54 PS, 1108 cm3
2-Door Sedan, 53 PS, 1108 cm3
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Auctioned vehicles of DAF
| Brand | Model | Year | Status | Auction name | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAF 66 1972 Sold ACA Kings Lynn Auction (August 27, 2016) |
66 | 1972 | Sold | ACA Kings Lynn Auction (August 27, 2016) | |
| DAF 4-Ton Flatbed Trailer 1954 Sold Bonhams Den Hartogh Sale (June 23, 2018) |
4-Ton Flatbed Trailer | 1954 | Sold | Bonhams Den Hartogh Sale (June 23, 2018) | |
| DAF 750 Daffodil 1962 Sold RM/Sotheby's Arizona Auction (January 19, 2017) |
750 Daffodil | 1962 | Sold | RM/Sotheby's Arizona Auction (January 19, 2017) | |
| DAF 55 1970 Sold ACA Kings Lynn Auction (August 27, 2016) |
55 | 1970 | Sold | ACA Kings Lynn Auction (August 27, 2016) | |
| DAF 66 A variomatic 1974 Sold Charterhouse Classics at the Castle Car Show (July 21, 2013) |
66 A variomatic | 1974 | Sold | Charterhouse Classics at the Castle Car Show (July 21, 2013) | |
| DAF 66 1972 Sold Brightwells The Stondon Museum Vehicle Auction (June 10, 2015) |
66 | 1972 | Sold | Brightwells The Stondon Museum Vehicle Auction (June 10, 2015) | |
| DAF 66 GL Variomatic 1973 Sold Charterhouse Classics at the Castle Car Show (July 21, 2013) |
66 GL Variomatic | 1973 | Sold | Charterhouse Classics at the Castle Car Show (July 21, 2013) | |
| DAF 44 Luxe 1973 Sold Charterhouse Somerset Auction (February 15, 2015) |
44 Luxe | 1973 | Sold | Charterhouse Somerset Auction (February 15, 2015) | |
| DAF 750 Pickup 1962 Sold Bonhams Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum (October 7, 2019) |
750 Pickup | 1962 | Sold | Bonhams Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum (October 7, 2019) | |
| DAF 55 1970 Sold Brightwells The Stondon Museum Vehicle Auction (June 10, 2015) |
55 | 1970 | Sold | Brightwells The Stondon Museum Vehicle Auction (June 10, 2015) |
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