


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.
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.
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.
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.
Thanks for this, a very distinctive lorry. I’ve never seen one of these before, I’d definitely remember if I had.
Back in the sixties, DAF was still a Dutch and Belgian phenomenon, sales-wise. With the exception of the heavy, long distance 1962-1974 DAF 2600-series (initially powered by a license-built Leyland O.680 diesel). These were also sold abroad.
Mind you, even relatively small countries like Switzerland and Austria had their own truck manufacturers. And the UK, as you know, had a whole truck brands collection of their own.
The European trucking industry was still very fragmented in those days, with an almost incredible number of manufacturers.
In profile the DAF conventional looks like the 1957 Dodge Power Giant with the one year only hooded headlights, the difference being that the DAF has extended the hooded look to the entire front end. The compound curve windshield looks identical to the one used on the Power Giants. Who was the glass supplier to DAF? Did DAF buy these windshields from Dodge?
The supplier of those wrap-around windshields? I’ve no idea. I’ll pay special attention the next time I see one.
1957 Dodge D100
DAF A 117 pickup, introduced in 1951. Clearly inspired by Ford.
I like the look of these – impressive, tough truck.
Great article, thanks! That cab does look a bit like a circa-1958 Dodge.
Certainly different to what we had here, almost zero European trucks from that era either arrived or survived till the present day, other than that those are pretty standard 14 tonne 4 wheelers and you havent lived untill youve driven something as low powered as those in steep country overloaded.
Love those early DAFs, especially the cabovers, but these slightly odd conventionals too.
In early 1959, DAF’s engine line-up consisted of the BA 475 and BB 475 gasoline engines (135 and 155 hp, respectively)
Were these DAF engines too? If so, related to the diesels or a totally different family?
At the end of 1958, DAF’s only own engine was the DD 575 diesel, fully based on the Leyland O.350.
In early 1959, DAF unveiled those other engines at the same time. Both the 475 diesel and gasoline engines were essentially a 575 engine with a shorter stroke, bore was the same for all of them. Their displacement was 4.77 liter, letter D for diesel, B for benzine (gasoline).
So they were all related, with the Leyland O.350/DAF DD 575 as their ‘parent engine’.
I didn’t know DAF made pickups – could you maybe put something together on these please?
The one in the picture above is on display in the DAF Museum. The pickups were designed to work in the oil fields and were technically based on the 1950, 1-tonne DAF A 10 panel van. The pickups A 107 and A 117 were powered by a Hercules 6-cylinder gasoline engine.
Pictures of the van and pickup with some basic information (in Dutch):
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/DAF_A10
Thanks Johannes – I can read Dutch, so this link is very interesting!
Great post – I always enjoy your take on the history of trucks and haulage. Thanks Johannes
Thanks Roger!