DAF 66 Price Guide

The DAF 66 was the final expression of the Dutch manufacturer’s remarkable Variomatic continuously variable transmission concept. This was an automatic gearbox using belt-and-pulley technology that provided infinitely variable gear ratios and made the DAF exceptionally easy to drive at a time when most European small cars still required a temperemental clutch pedal. The 66’s particular appeal was that it could go just as fast in reverse as forward, a party trick that became legendary.

The Car

The 66 launched in 1972 as the replacement for the 55, using a 1,108cc Renault engine producing 47bhp. This partnership with Renault would eventually see the French giant acquire DAF’s car division in 1975, which it renamed Volvo Netherlands. The Variomatic belt-drive CVT was DAF’s defining innovation: two expanding pulleys with a rubber belt provided stepless automatic drive without a torque converter. Marathon versions won their class in the London–Sydney Marathon twice. The 66 Marathon was a genuine rally car, extraordinary given the CVT transmission.

Buying

The Variomatic requires correct belt tension and periodic belt replacement as stretched belts cause the ratio to slip and the car to underperform. Specialists in DAF Variomatic maintenance are rare but devoted. Rust in the lower body is significant. The DAF 66 is now a charming and collectible piece of Dutch motoring history.