Dutch "Special Interest" Material

[Sigmund Fraud]

Do you like long-forgotten, belt-driven Dutch economy cars ? If so, you're in luck !

Yours truly recently visited the city of Eindhoven in the Netherlands... As one would expect, there was plenty of flat land, some canals, quite a bit of drizzle and some fairly tall people who spoke a rather strange language.

 

While walking around the city I accidentally* came across an entire museum dedicated to the creations of  a small* local firm called "Van Doorne's AanhangwagenFabriek". Naturally, I had to go in.

 

 

The museum was much larger than I expected, and there were some fairly interesting areas including...

 

 

...a replica of the original 1920s factory...

 

 

...the boss' office, circa late 1950s or early 1960s...

 

 

...loads of miniatures and DAF paraphernalia...

 

 

...a restaurant...

 

 

...decorated with the unique DAF-Geeris Buggy...

 

 

...and a replica of a 1970s DAF garage (which I considered moving into, but was not allowed to).

 

 

There were plenty of trucks, including this legendary 1987 Paris-Dakar TurboTwin II, and other commercial vehicles...

 

 

...from this very American 'stepside' pickup...

 

 

...to this very Dutch, two-cylinder DAF Pony...

 

 

...and from the Swedish-made, fibreglass bodied Kalmar...

 

 

...to this LDV Maxus that the museum were clearly embarrassed of and which was hidden in a dark corner !

 

 

Of course, there were plenty of cars, from early Daffodils...

 

 

 

 

 

...including one in AS-approved condition...

 

 

...to later cars like this 44...

 

 

 

...this GORGEOUS 55 Coupe...

 

 

...and the family-friendly Combis in 33...

 

 

...but also in 44 and 66 flavours.

 

 

 

There were also many obscurities, like this beautiful DAF Coupe (Fulvia Zagato, anyone ?)...

 

 

...Michelotti's DAF-kini, custom built for the Dutch royal family...

 

 

... Michelotti's Shelette, built for a handful of rich and famous owners...

 

 

... the unique Siluro, recently discovered, purchased and restored by the museum...

 

 

...the Handywagon, built in the US for the Arkansas and Louisiana gas board...

 

 

...the Moretti 55, custom built for an eccentric Swiss lady that liked her 55 but wanted four doors and more luxury...

 

 

...the DAF "Driving Raincoat", a prototype microcar that had a sunroof so "the driver could exit, should the vehicle fall on its right side, blocking the single door"...

 

 

...the HAVAS 66, an open-top conversion...

 

 

...and this dangerous contraption, a Honda motorbike with a DAF two-cylinder engine and what appears to be direct drive to the rear wheel straight from the centrifugal clutch !

 

 

There were also sporting* versions of the production cars, like this 32S...

 

 

.,.this endurance rallying 55...

 

 

...and the OMG 555 DAF NOT SUBARU.

 

 

There were also some proper performance machines, like this prototype with a Cossie BDA and variomatic ...

 

 

...and the early-1990s Williams-Renault FW15C, which used a variomatic gearbox co-developed with DAF (and which was almost immediately banned by FIA).

 

 

There was also plenty of geeky stuff, like models of the variomatic in its initial rubber belt...

 

 

...and the later metal belt forms...

 

 

...various DAF twins, from the small block 600, through the 750, to the big* block 850...

 

 

...and the entire running gear of a 55 separated from the shell !

 

All in all, a very entertaining and educational experience ! I hope you chaps enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed the visit !

 

Oh, and if anyone feels the DAF love very strongly, my yellow 44 is still looking for a new owner... Just saying, like...

[Bren]

Looking at the title of this thread I did not expect it to be car related.

[Pillock]

Yeah, same end result though

 

Nice photos, thanks for subjecting yourself to the hardship for our benefit!

[Andrew353w]

I've just died and gone to Heaven! That "Handy-wagon" looks a little like a Trabant! Mind you, A lot of people thought my 33 WAS a Trabant!

 

An EXCELLENT set of pictures-thanks!

[junkyarddog]

Excellent pics

 

What a lovely thing that 55 coupe is

[Uncle Jimmy]

Great post. Like that stepside pickup, any info on it?

[Wilko220]

The Moretti 55 looks class!

[Twiggy]

Fascinating - thank you...

[scruff]

Awesome, thanks for posting my friend - looks well worth a visit.

[seth]

Daffetaria. Best for Doffee.

 

 

[mercrocker]

Awesome place...Thanks for sharing, this is somewhere I need to go, obviously.   Soon.

[brickwall]

Great write up and photos. Looks like a great place. I especially like the Boss's office which looks like a nice warm place compared to modern offices.

[Sigmund Fraud]

Thanks for your comments, chaps !

 

Great post. Like that stepside pickup, any info on it?

 

It's called the A117, and they made it in the mid-50s for a Dutch oil company. It really looks like a slightly smaller Chevy stepside, the interior is equally 1950s US-of-A !

 

 

I especially like the Boss's office which looks like a nice warm place compared to modern offices.

 

I swear I could smell cigar smoke standing outside the door of that office !

[purplebargeken]

The Coupe and 33 van have to be the best. I do like a good 44 though, thanks for posting the piccies. Fabulous.

[purplebargeken]

Like the sporting versions to. They do look 'the business'.

 

I do yearn for another Daf but I have no space

[HillmanImp]

 

That DAF coupe is so hot, it made made me spunk so fucking hard the end of my knob exploded.

[Noel Tidybeard]

wot no osi-daf??

[pompei]

Fantastic!  Thanks for posting 

[Sigmund Fraud]

wot no osi-daf??

 

Ah, yes... They did also have this ugly beast :

 

[Skut]

A Daf City Car! I had a totally knackered corgi whizzwheels version.

[Noel Tidybeard]

i is happi now

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Great pics!!! I like the Moretti 55 best, its got 'shite' written all over it

[Melchior]

Eindhoven isn't a zillion miles from me (I live in NL) so have added this to the 'places to visit' list. Thanks for sharing  

[Sigmund Fraud]

Then I remembered my first wheels were attached to a Daf 33 van. E reg and bolloxed at 6 years old. (...) so I bought an MZ ETS 250 instead.

 

A most sensible choice, only a complete lunatic would drive a DAF

[Alexg]

Excellent museum! Thanks for sharing.

[MarvinsMom]

this place looks AAWWWSUMMMMM!!

 

thanks for shearing, i;ve added another "place i must visit someday soon" to the list

[AnthonyG]

The continentals always put us to complete shame when comes to celebrating their heritage, I don't really know why. Gaydon is a right hodgepodge and Jaguar seems to have outsourced their stuff to the Coventry transport museum (which is pretty good now to be fair).

 

Considering this is from a medium sized truck manufacturer which went bust in 1993 and is now owned by an American conglomerate it's absolutely outstanding.

 

It's deffo time for JLR to pull their finger out, I think they bought that guys collection of about 500 cars, mainly Jags, so hopefully something good is on the drawing board.

 

I love 'MuseumWinkel' and 'Dafferteria', that sign is total WIN.

[Andrew353w]

 

And heres mine. Behind is a Milton Keynes in its early days, shite everywhere.

Great picture of your 33 van! As it seems to have made its way over a ploughed field I expect the self-locking differential effect was useful! 

 

I only wish I could find a picture of my late father's "J" reg 33 van!

[forddeliveryboy]

Enjoyed the great pics hugely. The Dutch are an interesting lot.

[Eric]

Very interesting museum, must visit some day...just 100 miles from here....

Still mis my DAF 66 Coupe in yellow...