Details of Cars

DAF 33: the last of the Daffodil line

DAF

DAF 33 saloon
A DAF 33 saloon. Photo by Joost J. Bakker from IJmuiden, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

The DAF 33 was a small saloon built in Eindhoven from 1967 to 1974. It differed little, inside or outside, from the Daffodil it replaced, and it carried DAF’s belt-driven Variomatic transmission. Part of its reputation came from an oddity of that transmission: the car could go almost as fast backwards as forwards.

DAF 33 at a glance

DAF 33 key facts
Maker DAF, Eindhoven
Production 1967–1974
Class compact saloon
Predecessor DAF Daffodil
Body styles saloon, pick-up, van
Transmission Variomatic, belt-driven CVT
Electrics 6 volt, 12 volt from 1972
Top speed about 110 km/h, nearly the same in reverse
Luxury version from 1969
Related DAF 44 (1966), DAF 55 (1967)

History of the DAF 33

A Daffodil under a new name

DAF 33 from the front
The DAF 33 kept the rounded shape of the Daffodil. Photo by joost j. bakker from ijmuiden, the netherlands, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

The 33 appeared in 1967 as a renamed and lightly updated Daffodil. DAF had introduced the Michelotti-styled DAF 44 in 1966, and the new car seemed to compete in almost the same market segment as the older Daffodil-based design. Rather than retire it, DAF kept the smaller car in production under the new name; its development costs had long since been paid off, so it could still be sold at a profit.

Changes through the years

In 1969 a more luxurious version joined the range, with a better equipped interior than the first cars. After that the model changed very little. The one significant technical change came in 1972, when the old 6-volt electrical system was replaced by a 12-volt one. Besides the saloon, DAF built pick-up and van versions of the 33 for buyers who wanted a cheap working vehicle.

The Variomatic and reverse gear

Like every DAF car of the period, the 33 used the Variomatic, a continuously variable transmission with a V-shaped belt running between two pairs of pulleys and connected to a limited-slip differential. The arrangement gave smooth stepless acceleration, and because the transmission had no fixed gear ratios it also meant that the 33 reached almost the same top speed in reverse as in forward motion, around 110 km/h. In the Netherlands that made the small DAFs popular for reverse-gear racing.

Design and features

  • Variomatic: a belt-driven CVT with no gears to change.
  • Reverse speed: almost the same as forward speed, about 110 km/h.
  • Long life: an ageing design kept in production because it was cheap to build.
  • Working versions: pick-up and van bodies alongside the saloon.

DAF 33 versions

  • DAF 33 saloon: the standard two-door car.
  • 1969 luxury version: a better equipped interior.
  • Pick-up: a light commercial version.
  • Van: a closed delivery body.

The 33 was the smaller stablemate of the DAF 44 and the DAF 55, and it came directly from the Daffodil. More cars are in the DAF collection.

Sources

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