F218 and F220 are the names of a modular cab that DAF used on its medium-weight trucks from 1970 until the mid-1990s. It was the company’s first tilting cab, and it carried a long line of models: the F1600 and F2000, the F2200, the F2300, the F2500 and finally the 1700, 1900 and 2700 ATi.
DAF F218/F220 at a glance
| Maker | DAF, Eindhoven |
|---|---|
| Cab used | 1970 to the mid-1990s |
| Cab width | 218 cm, 220 cm after the 1976 facelift |
| First models | F1600 and F2000 (1970) |
| Engine | 8.25-litre inline six, DH825 or DHB825 |
| Power at launch | 163 or 218 PS |
| F2200 | 1972, 32 tonnes GVW, 180 to 230 PS |
| F2300 | 1976, facelifted F220 cab, two to four axles |
| F2500 | 1982, 250 PS and 915 Nm |
| Last versions | 1700 and 1900 (1987), 2700 ATi (1989) |
| Military use | YA-4440 and related vehicles |
History of the DAF F218/F220
The first tilting cab
The F218 cab arrived in early 1970 on the F1600 and F2000. Both were new from the ground up and both tilted forward for easy access to the engine, a first for DAF. The cab was built from standard pressings and designed so that many variations could be developed from it, and both rigid trucks and tractors were offered from the start. The new 8.25-litre cross-flow six came naturally aspirated as the DH825 or turbocharged as the DHB825, with 163 or 218 PS. In 1972 the heavier F2200 appeared, rated at 32 tonnes gross vehicle weight, with three versions of the 825 engine from 180 to 230 PS; the more powerful models sold best.
A narrower cab and the move to the F220
A narrower cab, the F198 at 198 cm, came in 1972 as the F1200 and F1400 for light duty work. It was short-lived: in 1975 DAF replaced it with the new 500–1300 range and its Club of Four cab, although the F1200 and F1400 lingered in small numbers until about 1978. The main cab was facelifted in 1976, when the F2300 appeared at the Earl’s Court Commercial Motor Show in London. The new front looked like a smaller version of the DAF 2800, which is exactly what it was, and the redesigned cab was called F220. It replaced the F2200 and was soon followed by smaller variations that pushed out the old F218 cabs altogether. The F2300 came with two, three or four axles and with a short or a sleeper cab, and its cabin sat 40 mm higher than the old 2200 to make room for the intercooler plumbing, which required extra grab handles on the door pillar. The heavier 2100 and above had twin round headlights low in the front, while the lighter F1600 and 1800 had single rectangular lamps in the bumper. Gearboxes were six, nine or twelve speed for the 2300 and six-speed, with or without synchromesh, for the 2100. The 2300 was a considerable success in Britain, where it outsold the bigger 2800.
The 2500, the facelift and the end
In early 1982 the F2500 arrived with a developed version of the intercooled 2300 engine giving 250 PS and 915 Nm. The power delivery was peaky, so a multi-speed gearbox was essential: the standard six-speed S.6-90 had a splitter for twelve gears, and a sixteen-speed ZF 16S112 was optional. Like the 2300, it came as a short or sleeper cab, with two to four axles, as a tractor or a rigid, and it was more economical as well as quicker than the 2300. In 1987 the F1600 and F1800 were replaced by the 1700 and 1900 with the new family front from the DAF 95, and the same facelift reached the 2100, 2300 and 2500. At the 1989 Auto RAI in Amsterdam the 2700 ATi appeared with the new HS 200 ATi engine of 272 PS, a very high specific output for the time, and it supplanted the 2500 in many markets. After the 1987 merger of Leyland and DAF, the 2300 and 2700 also replaced the Leyland T45 Cruiser in Britain. The F218 and F220 cabs were used for Dutch military vehicles from 1976 into the 21st century, starting with the YA-4440 and continuing with the 5441, 4442 and 5442 and the YAV/YAZ-2300 tractors. By the end the cab was nearly twenty years old, with questionable ergonomics and a small windscreen.
Design and features
- First tilting cab: the engine became easy to reach for maintenance.
- Modular design: one cab, many models, from the F1600 to the 2700 ATi.
- 8.25-litre six: naturally aspirated or turbocharged, later intercooled.
- Space Cab idea: short or sleeper cab from the F2300 onwards.
- Military derivatives: the YA-4440 family for the Dutch armed forces.
DAF F218/F220 versions
- F1600 and F2000: the 1970 originals.
- F2200: the 1972 heavy version at 32 tonnes GVW.
- F2300: the 1976 facelift model, a big seller in Britain.
- F2500: the 1982 model with 250 PS.
- 1700 and 1900: the 1987 versions with the new family front.
- 2700 ATi: the 1989 top model with 272 PS.
The cab sat below the heavy DAF F241 series and above the light DAF 500/700/900/1100/1300 trucks, and it was replaced by the range that became the DAF CF. More models are in the DAF collection.
Sources
- DAF F218 series, English Wikipedia: models, engines, facelift, military use
- DAF F218, Dutch Wikipedia: introduction, first models
