About DAF |
ABOUT DAF A Proud History of Quality European Engineering Hub van Doorne was offered a small workshop at the side of a brewery, after he proved to be the only one who could get the special sleeve-valve engine in the brewery owner’s car to work. Early activities focused on welding, engineering and forging work and within a year there were 32 people on the payroll. The Great Depression saw a shift towards trailer manufacturing and the change in name to ‘Van Doornes Aahangwagen Fabriek’ (Van Doornes Trailer Factory) which was abbreviated to ‘DAF’. The introduction of assembly welding chassis’ resulted in a feather-weight semi-trailer that attracted the attention of everyone in the trade. In 1936, DAF became one of the first suppliers of container trailers in the world while employing 100 people. In 1949, DAF manufactured their first truck, which was one of three prototypes. The production of commercial vehicles followed with the introduction of three models; the 3 tonne (A30), 5 tonne (A50) and 6 tonne (A60). This growth resulted in the establishment of a larger production facility (9,000m2) on the current Eindhoven site. In 1950, DAF incorporated a one tonne A10 van to their range and later the A107, a pick up truck developed for export purposes. Specialised chassis’ to accommodate tipper bodies were introduced, as were a complete range of military vehicles. With the evolution of production from trailers to commercial vehicles, DAF was renamed DAF Automobielfabriek N.V. (DAF Automobile Factory), employing 184 staff and producing two vehicles a day. The Dutch Army went on to purchase 3,600 military vehicles in 1955, and the 10,000th DAF truck came off the production line. A new factory was built on the Eindhoven site in 1957 so engine production could begin on-site. Production of the DAF passenger vehicle also began. The ‘Daffodil’ was later introduced and over the years, DAF N.V. produced around 820,000 passenger cars. The in-house production of axles began for DAF’s commercial vehicles and by 1965 a completely new axle and cab facility was built in Westerlo (Belgium). In 1962, DAF introduced the new 2600, a modern truck that could also be supplied with a sleeper whilst its compact design allowed for optimum load length. The 2600 was nicknamed ‘the mother of international road transport’ and DAF became the market leader in driver comfort. On 7 July 1964, the 50,000th DAF truck rolled off the production line. At the start of the seventies, DAF introduced a tilt cab, making engine maintenance easier and less time consuming. Three years later, a 20cm wider version of this tilt cab was used for the new 2800. With its twin-bunk sleeper cab with full-size beds, and its powerful 11.6 litre DAF engine, this was one of the great milestones in the history of the company. DAF was the first truck maker in the world to use a turbocharger in combination with a charge cooler (which it called 'intercooler'), as a result of which the engines were able to deliver even more power and torque while keeping fuel consumption low. In the mid-eighties DAF undertook a project with British Leyland, which initially resulted in the supply of Leyland-developed distribution vehicles carrying the DAF logo: the 400 van, but also the 600, 800 and 1000 distribution trucks, later called the 45 series. In 1987 Leyland was taken over by DAF. DAF was highly successful and its top-of-the-range 95 model won the International Truck of the Year in 1988. In 1989, DAF was floated on the Amsterdam and London stock exchanges. Just like the 95 series, the lighter 65, 75 and 85 series launched in 1992 proved extremely successful. In the early 1990s the commercial vehicle market collapsed, in particular in Great Britain, a market on which DAF greatly depended. It proved impossible to keep the company afloat, but it did not take long before there was a new DAF. The new DAF Trucks N.V. was established and in 1994, DAF presented the 95 Super SpaceCab, with even more space and even better driver comfort. In November 1996, DAF Trucks N.V. was acquired by PACCAR Inc. (Pacific Car & Foundry). The company is one of the largest and most successful manufacturers of heavy-duty trucks (Kenworth & Peterbilt) in the world. DAF presented the new 95XF in 1997. It was the perfect truck for heavy and long-distance haulage. This was also the opinion of the international trade jury, which voted the 95XF ‘International Truck of the Year 1998’. In the same year DAF Trucks Australia was born as a division of PACCAR Australia Pty Ltd. On 6 May 1999, DAF delivered its 500,000th truck. DAF Trucks Australia’s early years were spent researching and developing vehicle specifications that met Australia’s demanding conditions, as well as training and appointing sales and after-sales support staff. In 2001, production began of the new CF series for medium-heavy and heavy haulage and of the new LF series for distribution transport. The LF was selected ‘International Truck of the Year 2002’. The LF and CF series are currently the select models delivered in Australia. During 2004, 45,000 trucks were built by production facilities in Eindhoven (The Netherlands) and Preston (UK) - that’s 185 a day, compared with two a day in 1952. The XF105 featuring the new PACCAR MX engine available in both Euro 4 and Euro 5 emission specifications was launched in 2006 and wins the ‘International Truck of the Year 2007’. In 2009, sales in Australia exceed 2,000 vehicles, and a professional network of dealers is in place to support the future growth of DAF in Australia. For more information about DAF trucks around the world please visit: www.daf.com |