DAF Trucks

DAF is a Dutch automobile company, with its main offices in Eindhoven.

The DAF company was founded in 1932, when a machine construction company led by Huub and Wim van Doorne, changed its name to Van Doorne's Aanhangwagen Fabriek (Van Doorne's Trailer Factory), abbreviated DAF.

In 1949, the company started producing trucks and buses, changing its name to Van Doorne's Automobiel Fabriek (Van Doorne's Automobile Factory). In 1958, DAF produced its first passenger car with a continuously variable automatic transmission, the Variomatic.

The division of DAF producing passenger cars was sold to the Swedish company Volvo Cars in 1975, leaving DAF to concentrate on its successful line of trucks. The car factory is currently 100% owned by Mitsubishi and is known as Netherlands Car B.V or NedCar.

History

It all started on the 1st of April 1928 when Huub van Doorne founded the "Commanditaire Vennootschap Hub van Doorne´s Machinefabriek". WorkshopCo-founder and investor was Huenges, managing director of a brewery. Hub van Doorne had repaired Huenges´ car several times. Huenges was so pleased with his work that he offered to lend him money if he wanted to start for his own. Hub started to work in a small workshop on the grounds of the brewery. In 1932 the name of the company was changed to "Van Doorne´s Aanhangwagenfabriek NV". Four years later Huub´s younger brother Wim entered the company. Another four years later Huenges left. The Daf company was now completely in the hands of Huub and Wim van Doorne. After the second World War, luxury cars and trucks were very scarce. This meant a big opportunity for DAF. In 1949 they started the manufacturing of trucks and trailers. From 1957 onwards, they produced their own engines.

The economical situation and the success of the DAF trucks made it possible for Huub van Doorne to realize his dream: production of a luxury car. He wanted to develop a car that was affordable by the common man. Experimental Variomatic He wanted to equip the car with an automatic gearbox, because he loved it in his Buick Dynaflow. But such a traditional transmission was too big and too complex to fit in a small car. In the winter of 1954 Huub van Doorne had the idea to use belts, just like many of the machines in the factory that were belt-driven. The first draughts date from February 1955. Huub van Doorne contemplated a 250 cc two-cylinder engine in the back to propel the back axle directly by means of belts. The idea was hard to realize in practice. The next proposal was a threeseater with a 250 cc two-cylinder in the front and the transmission underneath the backseat, driven the rear wheels. Huub liked this project, called 355, but his brother Wim thought the car was too small.