Leyland DAF was a commercial vehicle manufacturing company based in Leyland, United Kingdom, and a subsidiary of DAF NV. Formed in February 1987, it made trucks in Britain and the Netherlands and vans in Birmingham until it went into receivership in February 1993.
Leyland DAF at a glance
| Formed | February 1987 |
|---|---|
| Parents | DAF Beheer 60%, Rover Group 40% |
| Structure | DAF NV, subsidiary based in Leyland |
| Trading names | Leyland DAF in Britain, DAF elsewhere |
| Truck plants | Leyland, United Kingdom; Eindhoven, Netherlands |
| Van plant | Washwood Heath, Birmingham |
| Stock exchange listing | June 1989, Dutch and London exchanges |
| Receivership | February 1993 |
| Successors | LDV Group, Leyland Trucks, Albion Automotive, Multipart Solutions |
| Marque on trucks | until 2000, then DAF only |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on Leyland DAF.
History of the Leyland DAF
Formation
Leyland DAF was formed in February 1987, when the Leyland Trucks division of the British Rover Group, including the Freight Rover van business, merged with the Dutch DAF Trucks company to form DAF NV. The new company was owned by DAF Beheer with 60 per cent and Rover Group with 40 per cent. It traded as Leyland DAF in the United Kingdom and as DAF elsewhere. Trucks were built at Eindhoven in the Netherlands and at Leyland in the United Kingdom, and vans at the Washwood Heath plant in Birmingham.
Flotation and collapse
In June 1989 DAF NV was floated on the Dutch and London stock exchanges. Four years later, after the insolvency of DAF NV in February 1993, Leyland DAF went into receivership. Four companies emerged from it as management buyouts: LDV Group, a van maker in Birmingham which traded until 2009; Multipart Solutions, the parts business in Chorley, later acquired by TVS Supply Chain Solutions; Leyland Trucks, a truck manufacturer in Leyland, acquired by Paccar in 1998; and Albion Automotive, a components maker in Glasgow and Leyland, later acquired by American Axle.
After 1993
Leyland Trucks and DAF Trucks, the Dutch successor to DAF NV, came back together in 1998 when Paccar bought Leyland Trucks. Although Leyland DAF ceased trading in 1993, the marque stayed on some existing trucks until 2000, after which the Leyland part was dropped and trucks from the Leyland plant were sold simply as DAF. Leyland Technical Centre, formerly part of the group’s test operations, became a management buyout in July 1994 and was later renamed MI Technology Group in 2005 and CSA Group in 2013, before Spectris bought it in 2017.
Design and features
- British-Dutch group: Leyland Trucks and DAF Trucks combined, with Rover Group holding 40 per cent.
- Three plants: trucks at Leyland and Eindhoven, vans at Washwood Heath in Birmingham.
- Two marques: Leyland DAF in Britain, DAF in export markets.
- Four successors: the 1993 receivership produced LDV, Leyland Trucks, Albion Automotive and Multipart Solutions.
Leyland DAF versions
- Leyland DAF trucks: the British-market trucks built at Leyland.
- DAF trucks: the same vehicles sold under the DAF name outside Britain.
- Freight Rover vans: the van business brought in from Rover Group.
Leyland DAF built the Roadrunner and Constructor in its Leyland years. More Leyland vehicles are in the Leyland collection.
Sources
- Leyland DAF, English Wikipedia: formation, plants, receivership, successors
