DAF 77 prototype

Presentation Year:	1970
Class :	prototype
Body design :	hatchback
Engine:	Petrol:1.4 liters (51 kW)
Series Model:	Volvo 343

The DAF 77 was a prototype of DAF , which was developed as successor of the DAF 66 under the internal name Project P900 starting from 1970. However, it never went into series production, as Volvo Personvagnar took over the car division of DAF in 1975 in order to be represented in the small car and compact class in the future as well .

History

Since DAF needed capital from outside and a supplier for the planned 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine for the model, exploratory talks began with other car manufacturers , including BMW , but all failed. Renault intended to further develop the 1.3-liter gasoline engine, which was already installed in the DAF 66 , after which Volvo took over in early 1973, a third of the car division of DAF. Volvo had since the production end of the Volvo Amazon in 1970 with the Volvo 140 and Volvo 164 only larger and more expensive models in the program. For the time being, future DAF cars were planned to be badge engineering Volvo already participated in the development phase of the Project P900 . This happened especially in the body shop and in the safety equipment. The continuing financial difficulties, especially after the oil price shock in 1973, led DAF to withdraw completely from the production of passenger cars.

Volvo took over in the middle of 1975, the entire car division of DAF, making the DAF 66 as the Volvo 66. The car, which is about to become marketable , now called the DAF 77 , was further developed by Volvo and launched in 1976 as the Volvo 343 . However, the biggest DAF, now mutated into one of the smallest Volvo models, was in the tradition of the DAF brand, which was also reflected in the technical similarities to the DAF 66: the Variomatic transmission on the rear axle (in transaxle design) and the engines of Renault. Opposite the DAF 77, the Volvo 343 had a redesigned interior, other rims and thicker bumpers. Until 1991, the Project P900 finally built as a Volvo and was the last model with the DAF Variomatic available at extra cost.