DAF DAF 55 History

Introduced in late 1967 for the 1968 model year, the DAF 55 was born of necessity: the air-cooled twins could no longer keep up with performance expectations at the top of the range. DAF struck a deal with Renault to use the 1108 cc water-cooled Cléon inline-four (the B110 variant), rated at around 50 hp — a significant step over anything DAF had previously offered. The body, again by Michelotti, shared its structure with the 44 but featured sharper, more contemporary lines and was also offered as a coupe.

The model's biggest moment came in competition: the DAF 55 achieved strong results in the gruelling 1968 London–Sydney Marathon rally, and the factory capitalised on this with the 55 Marathon variant launched in 1971. The Marathon used an uprated 1108 cc engine producing around 63 hp, wider steel wheels, exterior racing stripes, and a brake booster, raising the top speed to roughly 145 km/h. A coupe version of the Marathon was also available.

Production of the 55 series ended in September 1972 as the DAF 66 — its evolutionary successor on the same Michelotti-styled platform — entered production. The 55's water-cooled architecture and the Renault engine partnership it established pointed the way to all subsequent DAF and early Volvo 66 models.