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The coming of spring is probably the most awaited season of the year, plants are beginning to shoot and buds are forming on the trees. The crocus has already shown its around and to be noticed, the faithful Daffodil is waving around beckoning spring to hurry.
Of course the serious horticulturists among us, are looking forward to the Chelsea Flower Show, a wonderland of riotous colour put on by the RHS (Just in case the Royal Horticultural Society).
Even being a member of the RHS does not guarantee tickets for this prestigious event.
However does one really need the agro of getting to Chelsea? Plus of course, the inevitable crowds and dare I say, the extortionate price of food and drink. As a serious gardener, the answer is yes.
It was quite a few years ago we set off for Chelsea, due to the congestion we left our Jag at home. Having a friend in the hire business we opted for one of his cars, naturally one would not want to be seen emerging from any old car, he promised something special, it was a Studebaker coupe in white.
One had to have shades for such an entrance, I mean, who are these people?
We enjoyed the day, the blooms, the scent of the flower’s, an experience unsurpassed, however as we went round there was a display with green daffodils, okay, they were not deep green but they weren’t yellow or white. They were different.
We thought perhaps some would look better than the normal run of daffs, which can be purchased by the bucketful at a normal garden centre, after a short discussion we thought perhaps a dozen or
so might be just right and not invoke the distain of our neighbours.
So up to the sales person, a dozen green daff bulb’s, they had a name but that was forgotten, as you will understand shortly, that will be £144.00, “eh, I only want a dozen”
“Well they are £12.00 each”, “Hold on I will be back” we made a very hasty retreat from that stall, it would be Homebase with the bucket for our Daff’s.
We had made prior pick-up arrangements, the Studebaker was purring away at the exit, naturally being examined by others waiting around for taxi’s and the park and ride bus etc.
Our friend, of course goes the whole hog, peak cap, black suit, opening doors etc, it really was a bit of a giggle. At least no one asked for my autograph.
Normally we would have taken a flask and a pack of sandwiches, you couldn’t, Mrs Bouquet has nothing on us.
Well you might have guessed where this story is going, the land of tulips and daffodils, windmills, clogs and bicycles, Holland, and in particular Eindhoven, home of Van Doorne’s Aanhangwagen Fabriek, which really was a trailer factory started by Hubert van Doorne in 1928.
Naturally the German invasion of the Netherlands put paid to the trailer business, as they put paid to most businesses. Apart from that, Hubert immediately the war was over decided to go into the truck making business, which was a shrewd move giving Europe was desperately short of most forms of transport, it took until 1949 to get things into production and from the factory appeared not only trucks and trailer’s but also Buses, and a variety of other heavy equipment. DAF was in business and was building a decent reputation, its products were seen all over Europe.
I think Hubert got a bit carried away as he decided to start building cars, in 1958 the 600 was built, it was a four stroke, air cooled 2 cylinder boxer engine, the 600 was exhibited at the Amsterdam Motor Show, they could not believe the number of order’s, 4000, yep 4000, Hubert was not even prepared for these numbers.
DAF was unique in that they had been trying out a continuously Variable transmission instead of the normal gearbox, the CVT as it is commonly known is suitable for small engine cars, the notes say there is more useable power, better fuel economy and a smoother drive. In essence it might infuriate Daf owners but it really was called rubber band transmission. Fair play to the brother’s they didn’t sit still they kept on improving the CVT, so much so by the time Volvo took over one probably would not recognise the latest version from the first.
I have tried to dodge giving even a resume of CVT, but here goes, it may lack technical credit, forgive me, it is described as an infinitely variable transmission with no noticeable gear changes, inside there is a lever sort of like a gear stick in an auto, push it forward to go forward and pull it back to go rearwards, so to speak.
The rubber belts are connected to variable diameter pulleys, the pulleys expand and contract, this is not my words, changes in the diameter of the primary and secondary pulleys of the variomatic transmission were effected by a combination of engine torque, spring pressure and centrifugal force exerted by bob weights in the primary pulleys, there’s more I am already confused, and by the filling and emptying of vacuum chambers in the two primary pulley’s. Now at least you have some idea of what CVT is, you have haven’t you?
Apparently it is inherently superior to the normal box in snowy conditions as well, for the would be racer’s, acceleration from a standing start is something else, equally the car can travel at maximum speed, I might as well tell you now, the Daf could go backward as fast as it went forward, so much so that for a brief period in Holland backward racing was quite popular. Honest.
However it did little for Daf’s reputation as a serious car, it being described by some as a tatty little car, of course you always get people who are prone to make unfair comments.
Though it was a bit unfortunate the 600 just about achieved a top speed equal to the speed limit,
However this did not deter the firm from making the 750, which was a 746cc resulting from reboring the old 600 unit, this gained the nickname Daffodil, it must have come as a shock to be able to reach 95kph.
Whilst you and I both laugh at this car maker, the success in all types of motor sport was remarkable, it was winning prize after prize, in fact so many it would not be viable to list them all here.
Of course we keep coming back to CVT, yes I did have a go with CVT, though it is another story, however ,it was a strange experience, I can’t say it was one that I would have raved about, however there have been technological developments which has meant more manufacturer’s have dabbled with CVT, such names as Hondas, Ford, Nissan and GM.
Before launching into the history of the various models, Daf made a van, a KV D 440, it only had a drivers seat and a sliding door and was supplied to the Swedish Post Office where it was named the Tjorven, apparently there are very few examples left.
Daf did also produce a normal van which was very popular with small businesses, it was ideal for local deliveries.
The CVT system was produced by one of the brothers Hub van Doorne.
The 600, 22bhp at 4000 rev’s giving a top speed of 90 kph. Despite everything it sold 30,563 units
1961 saw the 750 a 30bhp unit which was not much faster than the 600 but nevertheless 16767 p
Also in 1961 the Daf30, this is the one that got the monika, Daffodil, it was a luxurious version of the 750, another 23045 units were notched up
In 1963 all models were replaced by the Daf31, a direct development of the 30, 56,200 of these were bought up, so in the sales area Daf were doing quite well.
1965 the 32 emerged, which was of course an upgrade of the 31, however Daf were in sporting mode because they produced 53674 plus 500 32’s models, this had 36 bhp at 4500 revs.
1967 the 33 arrived on time, this was built through to 1974, the engine was 746cc producing 32bhp, had a top speed of 112kph and could achieve 0 to 80kph in 17 seconds, a production figure of 131621 units. The compression ratio was 7.5 to 1 and an oil change every 5000 km’s. The suspension was independent all round, steering rack and pinion. Brakes were drum back and front.
The little DAF was actually an ideal second car, with 40 to 50 miles per gallon, a top speed of 70mph.
However Daf raised the stakes in 1966 and contracted Giovanni Michelotte to design a new car which was designated the 44 an 844cc 40bhp unit which was capable of achieving 123kph.
Now Giovanni was renown for the work he did for Triumph, it seems so it is said that he must have got carried away as the little DAF has a strong resemblance to a Triumph.
The 44 was in truth a success for Daf, they built 167902 units up to 1974
1974 saw yet another incarnation the 46, another two year run, 32353 46’s appeared.
There was one other model the 55 which had the chassis and body of the 44, our old friend Giovanni as a designer might had a go at the new 55 and produced a one off named the Siluro, it was a most elegant looking vehicle and Giovanni treasured the car and kept it in immaculate condition, if my memory serves me right poor old Giovanni was tragically killed in a car crash. It doesn’t quite end there the car passed to his son, now this just about takes the biscuit, he kept it in the garden in memory of his father.
Strange as it may be the car deteriorated, birds nested, cats and dogs used it as a sleepin g place and even bees had a spot, almost a nature reserve, eventually the rotting remains of the treasured vehicle were given to, though it say’s sold to a German merchant who immediately offered the car to the Daf museum, if you would like to go it can be found at Tongelresetraat 27 Eindhoven, the car has been fully restored, actually handbuilt as there was no spare parts.
The 55 was a move for DAF from a car that was said by some to be ideal for elderly people who were not necessarily the best drivers in the world, the cheek of them.
Any way DAF co-operated with Renault and 1108cc which was well known as an economical motor and powerful, this propelled the light DAF to 85mph and petrol use of 30 -40 mpg, the brakes were updated, discs at the front and drums at the back. Suspension got the same treatment, Independent torsion bars at the front end and coils at the rear.
We now have a 55 marathon, this came about as a result of a DAF finishing the prestigious London to Sydney marathon, it was given the works, a special 1100cc engine, a brake servo, stiffer springs, wider wheels and tyres, and go faster stripes down the sides of the body. Traffic light grand prix experts would be stunned to find a DAF getting up to 50mph in under 9 seconds and a top speed of 90mph.
Did DAF stop, not on your life they then produced a 55 Coupe, of course using the Renault engine, it might not have been quite as nippy as the Marathon but nevertheless it was no slouch.
Now the DAF will never achieve top prices as a classic car, though, because it is so special it should always be held as unique and very collectible, however the number shown as licensed in the UK has fallen considerably and quite a lot of the models are down to single digits. So fancy a little dutch visitor you had better get moving.
At this point the story of Daf car’s comes to a sad close, the Swedish giant Volvo takes over, and the Eindhowen factory is now the Nedland factory, .
There is a post script to all of this, DAF had yet another model ready to release the 66, however it appeared as a Volvo made 66, naturally Volvo made a lot of safety changes, which in truth looked much different to the Daf concept, they retained the CVT system, again this was not quite the end of DAF’s influence, as a completely new car was produced the Volvo 340 series using the CVT system, but as far as Volvo was concerned it was the final use of CVT, though the old home of DAF, the Eindhoven factory was producing Volvo and Mitsubishi cars.
We should be grateful to Daf for producing a unique collection of cars, which has added to the history of the classic car and given the enthusiast a car like no other.
Ted Lay
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