Interesting V300/Daf77 History

[Hell Driver]

Some of you might have seen this before but although I've seen some of the photos in here before, there's lots of new info/pics that I've not seen as well.
http://www.volvotips.com/index.php/340- ... y-340-360/


The yellow clay model prototype Daf77 looks a bit like an AMC Pacer
http://www.volvotips.com/wp-content/upl ... 00x246.jpg
http://www2.uol.com.br/bestcars/carros/ ... cer-76.jpg

[volvosneverdie]

I want this.

[Hell Driver]

A car named 'the raincoat' only one made and that was sold to a circus

They saw that circus coming

[Chris_C]

The 300 held a world record

As a diseaseal?!

[Hell Driver]

Remember the 300 with a VW Golf front?
Here's a 300 with a VW polo front!
http://www.volvotips.com/wp-content/upl ... totype.jpg

[volvosneverdie]

Remember the 300 with a VW Golf front?
Here's a 300 with a VW polo front!
http://www.volvotips.com/wp-content/upl ... totype.jpg

I kinda like it.

[Hell Driver]

The diesel world record car is mentioned here, thought it was familiar.
http://www.volvo300mania.com/forum-uk/v ... =2&t=10226

[macplaxton]

Reminds me, must update the holiday thread sometime.

[trabitom99]

That is the best write-up of the V300 history I've seen on the web so far. Good find, Helldriver! I particularly like the background info on how the car "was born". It also counters the myth that the car was designed by Michelotti.

That reminds me, must update this thread sometime:
http://www.volvo300mania.com/forum-uk/v ... f=2&t=5363

Cheers

Tom

[nvdw]

Nice write-up, but what the hell is he on about with this?

when the gas pedal was released the car almost stopped immediately because the driveline was shutdown completely by the variomatic (there was no freewheel-effect).

Much of the information about the P900 development and Volvo's involvement is identical to what has been written in the Ongekend Talent book published by the Daf Club on their 25th anniversary. The original De Vries design was very similar to the first VW Passat designed by Giugiaro (that came out in 1973). The spoiler was added to keep the rear screen clear while driving through airflow, obviating the need for a wiper. It was added mainly for the UK market anyway - it was an optional extra on Dutch market 300 series until the very end.

John de Vries also provided the basic design for the 480.

[trabitom99]

Much of the information about the P900 development and Volvo's involvement is identical to what has been written in the Ongekend Talent book published by the Daf Club on their 25th anniversary.

Hm, it is a bit cheeky then of the chap to write "© Volvotips 2011" at the end then, without referring to his source ...

John de Vries also provided the basic design for the 480.

It would be so cool if the V3C could set up an interview with him some day. I had his address somewhere once, meaning to write to him, and then went and lost it

Tom

[foggyjames]

The 300 held a world record

As a diseaseal?!

Have you been napping? I thought everyone knew that. The car is at the museum in Gothenburg.

cheers

James

[Hell Driver]

A question I've always wondered is...

As the Mk1 (343) was designed for DAF as the 77 and then later bought out by Volvo, how come it already looked so much like a smaller version of for example a Volvo 240 (style of front lights, square boxiness etc.) and totally unlike a Volvo 66 (apart from bumpers, trim hubcaps etc. which can be easily changed for Volvo style/logos anyway)

Even some of the early (early 1970's) sketches look quite Volvo, even though other companies were showing interest in the concept. I wonder if DAF was already hoping for Volvo to take it on and so leaned towards their general shape in advance?

It's also striking how similar one of the early prototypes looks like a VW polo Mk1. The article which started this thread even talks of VW's interest in the P900 project and mentions them seeing the car as and entry level Audi, which the MK1 Polo was in the form of the Audi 50.

I suppose the designers of the project may have leaned towards what they thought the car companies most likely to take on the project at the time would go for in terms of styling.

It takes some reading an re-reading of the article to get a clear time-line but it appears that some of the styling of the 77 was altered by Volvo towards the final design just before production.

The impression that I now get is that despite the projects firm roots in DAF, there was still quite an input from Volvo in some aspects, namely safety and some of the front styling? To say that it's just a Volvo badged DAF car is not entirely true.

[MCHUDD]

Hi Helldriver.
Great read there mate.Very interesting.
I thought there was also a wooden model
Cheers Mark.

[nvdw]

Hell Driver,

Please note that the main goal for the P900 was to get another manufacturer on board. Daf was unable to bear all the development costs for the new car. The Dutch state agreed to buy a stake in the new Daf passenger car division (a separate car division did not exist yet) but only if Daf could find a partner to bring the project to fruition. Therefore, the P900 model was designed to suit 'general tastes' and to fit various powertrains, including front wheel drive setups. From the beginning, Volvo was in the picture for a participation in the whole venture. BMW was a serious contender as well.

The general P900 design is very close to that of the Volkswagen Passat. That has nothing to do with VW's supposed involvement, but more with a liftback style that was very much 'en vogue' at that time. The dimensions of the Volvo 343 are similar to a Mk1 Passat too. It was never envisaged as the VW Golf competitor it came to be in the 1980s. That would have been the job of the Volvo 66, especially the Combi version, which was more of a hatchback than a true estate car. Sketches and prototypes for a 66 successor exist, but it never came to be as the whole venture very soon became a money pit for Volvo (and the Dutch state as well). Many ideas for this new small car were borrowed for the 440 model.

Volvo was already well involved with Daf in 1973, when it bought a minority stake in the passenger car division. Before that, Volvo already assessed the situation at Daf Car, and decided that the only models worthy of consideration were the 66 and the upcoming P900. The 66 went through various smaller modifications even before it was rebadged into a Volvo. The Daf 66 'Euro Safety' model featured many safety improvements that would later be used in the Volvo 66 series. Also, the Volvo 66 features a variomatic that is quite more sturdy than the equivalent Daf transmission.