In 1949, the Van Doorne brothers and their crew started the production of rolling truck chassis. Right from the get-go, the full focus was on building cabovers. The thought behind it was that a cabover can transport more cargo than an equally long conventional. That’s a truth like a cow, as the saying goes.
Yet eight years later, DAF introduced a line of conventional trucks and tractors -generally referred to as the Torpedofront vehicles- to meet the demands of the more ‘conservative’ customers.
Throughout the production years, these were only offered with a 4×2 drivetrain. If you wanted a heavier DAF chassis with three axles, you had to opt for a cabover. Also, the conventionals were never offered with a sleeper cab.
Initially, the cabs for the conventionals were made by independent coachbuilders. The engine options were the Leyland O.350 and Perkins P6-80 diesels and the Hercules JXC gasoline engine. But things would change drastically shortly afterwards.
The final stage of assembly in the Eindhoven truck factory, circa 1960
A memorable day in the history of DAF is November 13, 1957, when their engine plant was opened. The starting point of all DAF in-house engines was the license-built Leyland O.350, morphing into the DAF D 575 with 120 SAE-hp. Multiply that number 575 by 10 and the product is the engine displacement in cc, albeit slightly rounded.
A year later, DAF also began to make their own drive axles (two-speed axles included) and the conventionals got an in-house cab, easily recognizable by the wrap-around windshield. In-house cabs, engines, and drive axles. Finally, after years of hard work, Van Doorne was the truck manufacturer they always wanted to be.
1959 DAF DS 575 turbodiesel, 165 SAE-hp maximum power output
In early 1959, DAF’s engine line-up consisted of the BA 475 and BB 475 gasoline engines (135 and 155 hp, respectively) and the DA 475, DD 575, and DS 575 diesels (100, 120, and 165 hp).
The DS was DAF’s first and early entry into the turbodiesel truck market. When talking mass production of turbocharged truck diesels, Volvo and DAF were the pioneers.
1965 DAF A 16 DF flatbed truck, work in progress on the right
A bigger, naturally aspirated diesel engine followed in the mid-sixties; the 138 hp, 6.17 liter DF 615. At that point, the heaviest and most powerful Torpedo truck was the A 18 DS with a 10 tonnes (22,000 lbs) drive axle and air brakes as standard.
Last fall, I caught three DAF Torpedos from the sixties on camera, a straight truck (with the letter A in the model designation) and two tractor units (with the letter T for trekker/tractor, not Torpedo).
The full model designation of this 1964 flatbed truck is A 16 DA 413: the A for truck chassis, (Torpedo) 16-series, DA 475 diesel engine, 413 cm wheelbase.
If opening the hood wasn’t enough for a maintenance or repair job, the whole nose -the fenders and complete grille unit included- could be disassembled straightforwardly and quickly.
Here’s a 1965 DAF T 15/2 DD 347 tractor unit, shining bright. With their six windows, the all-steel cabs provided good visibility all around.
Another splendid tractor on display at the ‘Heart for DAF Days’ in October was this 1968 T 18 DH 390, coupled to a classic, single-axle low loader with a free rider on its bed.
The T 18 DH is powered by the then new DH 825 diesel engine with a maximum power output of 172 hp. The tractor’s registered GVWR is 14 tonnes (30,865 lbs), a satisfactory heavy-duty level for sure.
A cutaway drawing of the DH 825 by Charles Burki (1909-1994), the artist made numerous illustrations for Van Doorne’s Automobielfabrieken N.V.
Like these, and staying on topic.
Riding along comfortably, a 1965 DAF A 1600 DA 360 truck with a three-way dump bed, powered by the same 100 hp diesel engine as the green A 16 flatbed truck.
An inside look, I took this interior picture in the summer of 2023. The Torpedo’s factory cab always came as a three-seater.
At the end of 1969, DAF introduced a completely new series of cabovers with a tilt cab. By then, the previous generation and the Torpedo really showed their age, ‘Born In The Fifties’ was written all over them. In 1972, it was over and out for the ol’ Torpedofront.
PS: did I mention that the Torpedo was only offered with a 4×2 drivetrain? Well, there were exactly four 6×4 dump truck exceptions to the rule. The distinctive feature of these aftermarket conversions, also done in DAF’s hometown Eindhoven, was the Timken tandem.
The other official DAF conventionals:
Construction Site Classic: 1973 DAF NAT 2506 6×4 Dump Truck – The Binder Reminder
Truck Stop Classic: 1980 DAF N2800-Series – Van Doorne’s Last Conventional, a Tough Cookie
And a 21st century conversion of a DAF cabover into a conventional:
CC Global: 2011 DAF XT105 6×4 Tractor – Custom-Built By a Dealership
The front part is really surprising. Should be way ahead of his time.
Old european trucks never disappoint.