Daf hybrid
Posted: 01 Apr 2014 10:46 am
Morning Girls.
On of the odd prototypes that used to float around the factory (old Daf design studio in Helmond) was a very early Daf77/340 shell fitted with a 1600cc "boxer" from a VW. I had always assumed it was just a mule to test alternative engines and it seemed natural with Dafs history of air cooling.
Back "in the day" is was regarded as an "apprentice piece" and laughed off (it was scrapped around 1980).
However I was doing some trans channel catching up with an old (now very old) colleague from the old days who used to work in the development workshop at Born - (obviously Dutch) Voor de gek Houden who related too me a slightly different tale.
Yes the car was an engine mule, and yes it was all about continuing with air cooling - but it was a test bed for a new engine. A Daf designed flat four of around 1500cc. Apparently it was based loosely around "two 44 engines" but obviously a new crank and crankcase. It seemed to have reached the running test stage but time to production was too long for Volvo who went with the (already developed) Cleons.
I'd love to see the spec - or a photo but Gek reckons all the kit was scrapped a long time ago.
Mac.
On of the odd prototypes that used to float around the factory (old Daf design studio in Helmond) was a very early Daf77/340 shell fitted with a 1600cc "boxer" from a VW. I had always assumed it was just a mule to test alternative engines and it seemed natural with Dafs history of air cooling.
Back "in the day" is was regarded as an "apprentice piece" and laughed off (it was scrapped around 1980).
However I was doing some trans channel catching up with an old (now very old) colleague from the old days who used to work in the development workshop at Born - (obviously Dutch) Voor de gek Houden who related too me a slightly different tale.
Yes the car was an engine mule, and yes it was all about continuing with air cooling - but it was a test bed for a new engine. A Daf designed flat four of around 1500cc. Apparently it was based loosely around "two 44 engines" but obviously a new crank and crankcase. It seemed to have reached the running test stage but time to production was too long for Volvo who went with the (already developed) Cleons.
I'd love to see the spec - or a photo but Gek reckons all the kit was scrapped a long time ago.
Mac.
can't imagine.