The DAF 65/75/85 was a series of medium-weight trucks that DAF introduced in 1992 as the replacement for the F220. The three models shared a cab and sat between the light DAF 45/55 and the heavy DAF 95. In 1997 the same trucks were renamed the 65CF, 75CF and 85CF.
DAF 65/75/85 at a glance
| Maker | DAF, Eindhoven |
|---|---|
| Production | 1992–1997 |
| Predecessor | DAF F220 |
| Successor | DAF 65CF/75CF/85CF, later the CF range |
| Class | medium-weight trucks |
| Position in the range | below the DAF 95, above the DAF 45/55 |
| Shared | one cab for all three models |
| In racing | the DAF 85 cab was used by DAF’s truck racing team |
Based on one short source: the Dutch Wikipedia article on the DAF 65/75/85.
History of the DAF 65/75/85
A new middle range
By the early 1990s DAF’s medium trucks were based on the F220 cab, a design that had first appeared in the 1970s. The 65, 75 and 85 were introduced in 1992 to replace it. Instead of separate cabs for each weight class, DAF used one cab for all three models, which kept tooling and production costs down and made the range easy to understand for buyers: the number told them how heavy the truck was, without changing the body they sat in.
Between the light and the heavy
In the DAF range of the time the 65/75/85 filled the gap between the light 45/55 distribution trucks and the heavy DAF 95 that had been launched in 1987. That position made the series a general-purpose vehicle, used both as a rigid distribution truck and as a tractor unit for regional work.
Renaming and racing
The three models lasted only five years under these names. In 1997 DAF renamed them 65CF, 75CF and 85CF, and they became the CF range that stayed in production for decades. The DAF 85 cab also went racing: when DAF entered the European Truck Racing Championship it used that cab, and the team placed the steering wheel in the middle, something unique in truck racing.
Design and features
- One cab, three models: the 65, 75 and 85 differed in weight class, not in body.
- Replacement for the F220: a modern medium truck for the 1990s.
- Central position: between the light 45/55 and the heavy DAF 95.
- Racing connection: the 85 cab became DAF’s racing truck, with a central steering wheel.
DAF 65/75/85 versions
- DAF 65: the lightest of the three.
- DAF 75: the middle model.
- DAF 85: the heaviest, and the one used for racing.
- 65CF, 75CF, 85CF: the same trucks renamed in 1997.
The series replaced the F220 of the DAF F218/F220 family and became the DAF CF; above it sat the DAF 95. More models are in the DAF collection.
Sources
- DAF 65/75/85, Dutch Wikipedia: dates, position in the range, racing
