The DAF Museum

One of the main attractions of the Dutch city of Eindhoven is a wonderful technical museum, which contains more than a hundred serial and experimental Dutch-made cars. This museum is located in the building of a former brewery, in one of the annexes to which, in 1928, the technical activities of the brother's Hub and Wim van Doorn, the founders of the DAF company, began. This post will introduce you to the serial DAF passenger cars on display in the museum halls.
Today DAF is one of the world's leading manufacturers of medium and heavy-duty trucks. However, a huge part of the museum's exposition is not occupied by trucks at all. Today, few remember that in the old day's DAF was engaged in small-tonnage trucks, trailers, and even cars. So, the entire second floor of the museum was devoted to the “passenger” past of the company, which lasted from 1958 to 1976.
Throughout this time, the Variomatic continuously variable transmission, which is a V-belt variator, remained the hallmark of DAF small cars. Among others, even motorcycles, Formula 3 and Formula juniors were equipped with it, and also Volvo cars of the 66, 340 and 360 series (after the Swedes bought out the DAF passenger division).
Meanwhile, the first test car of Hub van Doorn dates back to 1943, when he built a three-wheeled micro-car with a 150cc ILO four-stroke engine and a hydraulic clutch in the transmission. Thanks to its ultra-small width (only 80 cm!), This baby could enter through the front door right into the house. True, in this case, it was no longer necessary to get out of it through the side door, but through the folding canvas roof. The funny car was nicknamed "mobile raincoat" and was used by circus clowns after the war.
And here are the first serial "cars" from DAF - model 600 of the 1959 model. The yellow car has chassis number 001, green in the background - number 002. An air-cooled gasoline engine developed 23 hp. - just like the Soviet ZAZ-965!
The version of the "minicar" with a more powerful 746-cc engine (30 hp) received the DAF 750 index and an external difference in the form of a slightly larger radiator lining. The Standaard package included a simplified decorative finish with a minimum of chrome (for example, the hood hinges, bumper and trim parts - painted, domed caps - are missing) and in today's money cost 158 ​​euros less than De Luxe. In total, from 1961 to 1963, about 17 thousand DAF 750 cars were produced.
The "luxurious" (literally from the description!) The version of the "minicar" DAF 750 with a new front end design was called DAF 30 Daffodil and was also produced from 1961 to 1963, with a total circulation of 16,767 units.
After 1963, the DAF 600 and DAF 750 series cars were no longer produced, and the DAF 30 Daffodil series underwent modernization: a version with an updated interior and exterior was designated DAF 31. The power unit remained almost the same as that of the DAF 750 (only the carburettor and air filter, and the louvres in the cooling system received an automatic drive). Until 1965, 56,200 copies of the DAF 31 were made.