Classic: Daf 66 Marathon 1300

Posted on 26-09-2015 to 18:00 by larssb – 27 Comments”

Bats. The klapperrrrrrrrr of the week! Everyone laugh. But actually it was awful and pure self-flagellation if you’re into that cruel achteruitracen was watching, sweaty and a bit nauseous. Horror. Betrayed by the Bunch, as a lover of the Daf 66 Marathon 1300.

In 1973, Daf’s sportiest ever on the market. A Marathon version was there previously as a Daf 55, a small 60 HORSEPOWER, wider wheels and distinctive striping, but this one had the 1100 cc four-cylinder from Renault. The 66 Marathon received from the same manufacturer with a 1300 cc version behind the dual headlights, the power came on… 57 HP. The profit was mainly between the ears. And between the seats, because at that place’d be in Born of a genuine centre console around the clever pookje. With blind holes, for which you have some meters could be ordered. Or later self-assembly. The deep-rooted Dutch frugality even made no exception for the nation’s top model. Do but just.

Then you do already crazy enough, with a De Dion rear axle, multi-layered windscreen and seats with head restraints, the so-called nonnenkapstoelen. The best that Daf at that time had to offer, available as a sedan, coupé or station wagon. Designed by Michelotti, this was also the last type that the brand name Daf would wear before Volvo from 1975 66 under their own name in the price list, after the incorporation of Daf. Volvo assembled there to bigger bumpers, and that came good. They cause namely, indirectly, some small damages, because the Swedes in their version of a pookje, mounted that to the back had to move forward and drive forward to take him in reverse to switch. In the Daf this was always the other way around and has had a habit learned some, but hard for you…

There were the owners of the Marathon, 1300 no load, Hub van Doorne’s feat worked simple: pookje forwards is forwards, and pookje reverse, you guessed it, never, is the other side. You have no mnemonic is needed. Then you had in both directions infinitely many oppose to your decision, which by means of two straps (garter belt, in the vernacular) the rear wheels aandreven. And with success, because both in the formula 3, as in several rallies, Daf was prominent, and showed thereby the reliability of the CVT. A team of 2 Daffodils 55 reed in 1968, even the heavy London-Sydney Marathon, and were thus at the basis of the Marathon models.

But even in this mature and much sportier versions of what disrespectful the truttenschudder was called, helped Daf is not more of his image. Because the brand was already from the first Daf 600 (1958) a persistent and penetrating decency. Daf created, inadvertently, a niche: the gerontomobiel. Even reinforced by the fact that you have a while, a new Daf could buy including 12 free driving lessons, where you have the special machine exam in your own car was allowed to pass. In their drift is to show that the inventive pookje driving easier than ever and accessible to anyone was sent to our national pride, well-intentioned just a bit too much gammelen and klunzen the road with their special product.

It is a pity, because, certainly a version of the 66 Marathon was now a long way off from how everybody Daf wrongly continued to label: fine that there is also something for the elderly and useless. He was “humble raft” (0-80 km/h in thick 10 seconds: a Citroën 2CV did just about a whole weekend) and had a top speed of nearly 140 km/h. Prefer to move forward, because if you do that in reverse and tried to pick up broke you have all the records, but probably also a lot of street furniture, of your pride, and if it is very very tegenzat a few bones.

The 66 Marathon had with its De Dion rear axle, substantially better handling characteristics than its predecessors and due to the higher torque was this 1300 also much smoother and quieter than the 1100 cc version. The combination of that 1300 cc with the CVT was a pleasant, clearly audible to the happy screaming belts when the accelerator pedal, whether or not by accident, had knocked out was. On to Zandvoort or Valkenswaard.

Because there were many Daffodils an inglorious end, accompanied by the expert commentary of mister wonderful and the frustrations of the terreinknecht. Me grassss… Half of the Netherlands was to look at it, with chips and cola. The lover can go not more respect, horrible. There Is really nothing else, something softers with chainsaws or so?

Photo via Autojunk