The DAF CF is a range of medium-weight trucks that DAF has built since 1992, when it appeared as the 65, 75 and 85 series. In 1997 the three models were brought together under the CF name. The range covers distribution work, construction and tractor units, and it was replaced by the DAF XD.
DAF CF at a glance
| Maker | DAF Trucks, Eindhoven |
|---|---|
| Produced since | 1992 |
| First names | DAF 65, 75 and 85 (1992–1997) |
| Renamed CF | 1997 |
| Assembly | Eindhoven for left-hand drive, Leyland Trucks for right-hand drive |
| Models | CF65, CF75 and CF85 |
| Cabs | day cab, sleeper cab, Space cab |
| Meaning of CF | Compact Forte |
| Number | engine size: 65 = 6.7 litres, 75 = 9.2, 85 = 12.9 |
| Replaced by | DAF XD |
History of the DAF CF
Three names become one
The trucks that became the CF were launched in 1992 as the 65, 75 and 85, all using the same cab. When the DAF 95 was replaced by the 95 XF in 1997, DAF decided to rename the rest of the range in the same style. Since the 65, 75 and 85 already shared a cab, it made sense to sell them as one type called CF. At first the old numbers were kept alongside the new name, as 65 CF, 75 CF and 85 CF. In 2001, when the XF and the LF were presented, the CF series was modernised and presented again in the same year.
What the letters and numbers mean
XF, CF and LF probably began as marketing terms, but DAF later gave them meanings, which makes them backronyms: XF for Extra Forte, CF for Compact Forte and LF for Light Forte. The numbers tell buyers about the engine: in the CF, 65 means the 6.7-litre engine shared with the LF55, 75 the 9.2-litre unit and 85 the 12.9-litre engine shared with the XF105.
The CF in service
The CF was designed for a wide spread of transport jobs and was sold with two, three or four axles and a wide choice of power outputs. Most are used as distribution trucks, but the range also works as a tractor unit. The CF85 is essentially an XF105 with the CF cab, and because that cab is lighter it can carry more than the same truck with an XF cab; the CF85 has the MX engine in 360, 410, 460 and 510 hp forms and is popular as an eight-wheeled construction vehicle. The CF65 was offered only as a chassis-cab and shares much with the LF55, while its bigger cab makes it useful for removals, refrigerated bodies and trucks with loading cranes. DAF introduced the CF cab in 1993 and it was also used by Ginaf, Foden and Tatra. In 2021 the Belgian army ordered 879 military trucks based on the CF, 40 per cent of them with an armoured cab, to be built with Tatra between 2022 and 2025: 636 4×4 general transport trucks and 243 8×8 vehicles, plus nine tractor units.
Design and features
- One cab, three weights: CF65, CF75 and CF85 differ in engine and chassis.
- Light cab advantage: the CF85 can carry more than an equivalent XF105.
- Wide range: two to four axles, day, sleeper and Space cabs.
- Military version: the basis of 879 trucks ordered for the Belgian army in 2021.
DAF CF versions
- CF65: chassis-cab only, 6.7-litre engine, shares parts with the LF55.
- CF75: tractor or chassis, 9.2-litre engine.
- CF85: tractor or chassis, 12.9-litre engine up to 510 hp.
- Military CF: 4×4 and 8×8 versions with armoured cabs for Belgium.
The CF grew out of the DAF 65/75/85 and sits below the DAF XF; its light relative is the DAF LF. More models are in the DAF collection.
Sources
- DAF CF, English Wikipedia: dates, assembly, Belgian order
- DAF CF, Dutch Wikipedia: renaming, models, engines, cabs
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