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The Cars
 The more observant readers
of FSW may have noticed that Mini Racing has recently released two
rally DAFs – rally DAFs? The link between the Dutch rubber
band cars and rallying is not well known internationally, although
to a Dutchman it is nothing new. Anybody around in the Netherlands
in the 1960s with even the faintest interest in cars still remembers
the slogan "DAF wint weer" (DAF wins again) after yet
another class win was obtained by one of these little cars.
Privateers saw the potential
for DAF cars in rallying early on, but the factory did not really
take an interest until the time when an unfavourable "uncool"
image had attached itself to their cars. Ease of operation made
them a favourite among the elderly, disabled and district nurses
and this turned off many potential buyers. Motorsport was seen as
a partial riposte.
Thanks to the rubber
belt automatic continuously variable transmission (Variomatic) and
what was quite a decent chassis for the time, the cars did well.
Good build quality for a small car of its day helped them reach
the finish line in one piece on most occasions. Among the highlights
were a third overall for a DAF 55 in the 1969 Acropolis and team
prize in the 1966 Marathon de la Route. The latter event –
run for 84 hours on the Nürburgring by this time – was
finished by four Type 32 Daffodils. Best remembered in the Netherlands
was a 16th place for a 55 in the 1968 London-Sydney Marathon.
The ‘Marathon’
was a sportier road version of the 55 and 66, inspired by these
marathon successes, but the inherent conservatism of the Van Doorne
brothers prevented full exploitation of the performance potential.
From the 55 onwards, Renault engines were used and although Gordini
and Alpine derivatives were used experimentally, road cars remained
underpowered, thus preventing any real impact in homologated World
rallying – and in image in the market.
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Happy New 2004 from
France to all the team at GPM and my fellow modellers.
I thought you might
be interested to see a picture of "our" Ferrari Daytona
Gr4 running in the VdeV French Vintage Championship (2 class victories
at Jarama and Ledenon).
I built it from a special
order Virages décals and AMR kit (4 examples for the pilots,
the chief mechanic and myself...)
For 2004 we’ve
planned to compete in Jarama and Ledenon again and we have sent
an entry for the Le Mans Classic
I never told you that
I am also "team manager" of a French team as well as a
modeller !!!
best regards,
Didier Tu Hong, Meyrargues, France
Good luck for the forthcoming season, especially
if your Le Mans entry is accepted. We’ll look out for your
car in the results!
Dear GPM,
I thought I would add
my two cents to the ever growing list of frustrated F1 kit collectors/builders
that wish the impossible - to fill the gaps in our collections.
Maybe some kit companies
out there will someday wake up and smell the coffee.
I myself have no problem
bidding up to hundreds of dollars (U.S.) to purchase a single kit
from the early 80’s that I had not known existed before. I
know by the prices that I have to pay that there is definitely a
demand for these kits.
I have a list of kits
(mostly 1980’s and 1990’s F1s) that for years have driven
me crazy because I can’t find even a 1:43 diecast version of
them, let alone an actual kit. Please forward my list if it will
do any good. There must be someone out there that wants to make
some money?
Thank you for your time and effort,
Michael Torok, Pennsylvania, USA
As SMTS pointed out recently, for the larger
manufacturers many of the more marginal subjects are difficult to
make a go of. However there are still plenty of more mainstream
subjects missing (Lotus, Williams, McLaren etc) that are eagerly
awaited.
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The Models
Mini Racing has been
the first model maker to expose this hidden aspect of the DAF saga
and their two rally DAFs are nicely done. The first was a 55 Group
2 as used in the 1972 Monte Carlo, where it came 18th, winning class
2 with DAF’s intrepid works driver/navigator team Laurent and
Marche on board. The second is a 66 as used in the 1974 Tour de
France Automobile. Although none of my sources mention this car,
it appears to have been driven by the same team and looks like a
group 1 entry.
Both models are well
executed and the proportions and scale are generally right –
with the proviso that the very thin A, B and C pillars of DAFs are
hard to replicate in resin at 1:43rd. However there are a few negatives.
First of all, neither car is supplied with a roll cage. DAF rally
cars had rear roll cages at this time with tubes going back to the
rear parcel shelf and a diagonal running down from the side of the
navigator’s head. Another problem is that both the 55 and 66
have been given the same interior. In reality the 55 has a different
fascia with two separate round instrument pods, rather than the
single rectangular item from the 66 which is supplied. The 55 also
has a smooth plastic impact absorbing edge to the fascia, rather
than the 66’s rectangular block item supplied. Neither model
has the essential Tripmaster in front of the navigator. The models
also have high-back seats, which the 55 should not have, although
without photos of this 66, it is difficult to say if the seats are
correct for the Tour Auto model.
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However,
other details are well executed with correct wheels and largely
correct decals, although the words ‘racing’ and ‘team’
in white are missing from the orange DAF stickers on the front wings
of the 55. These stickers were quite a distinctive item used during
the late 1960s and early 1970s on all rally DAFs, though they were
first used on DAF’s Formula 3 cars. Also, I remember the ‘Camel-DAF’
decals being brown rather than pink, while Dutch number plates at
the time were white on matt dark blue, rather than on black, but
this is probably nit-picking. Instructions are minimal with three
pictures of a built model, but no further assembly diagram, no interior
views and no pictures of the real car. I bought the 66 fully built,
so did not expect instructions and the build was nicely executed,
though lacking that roll-cage. One reason for buying the 55 as a
kit was my wish to give the model the negative rear wheel camber
so characteristic of performance DAFs; the 66 with its De Dion rear
axle never had this.
Overall, however, full
marks to Mini Racing for giving us rally DAFs at all. I hope these
are merely the first in a long line. There are certainly several
55s and 66s that could still be modelled using the same castings
with different decals, foremost among these, of course the 1969
Acropolis car and the 1968 London-Sydney car. Beyond this, a coupé
body could be derived from the 55 to give us some of the 555 Group
5/6 prototype rally DAFs, which – though never really successful
in the rallies they entered – became formidable weapons in
early 1970s rallycross when fitted with 180 bhp Cosworth BDA engines
and Variomatic 4-wheel drive!
Paul Nieuwenhuis, Cardiff, Wales
Thanks Paul.
We often struggle to find info on these more unusual subjects. Hopefully
Mini Racing will pick up on your suggestions for future versions.
The rallycross car must have been fun!
In answer to Wayne Moyer’s
difficulties (FSW 10/2003) here is an extract from our internal
build instructions for the Novi kit (RL064)
"Glue engine in to body, holding car upside down, fit exhausts
to hold engine in place, put glue on bottom of engine and fit together
wet, screw chassis in".
Regards,
Keith Williams, SMTS
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