DAF Logo PNG
The emblem is associated with large vehicles. The DAF logo conveys the trucks’ power, spaciousness, and reliability, and inspires confidence in the driver when transporting goods.
DAF began on April 1, 1928, when Dutch engineer Hub van Doorne opened a small workshop inside the Coolen brewery in Eindhoven. The business first handled welding jobs for local clients, including Philips. In 1932, Hub’s brother Wim joined, and the firm became Van Doorne’s Aanhangwagen Fabriek, giving the company its enduring name, DAF.
DAF first built trailers, known for their light welded chassis and strong payload capacity. In 1936, it developed a container trailer for moving freight between rail and road. In 1949, DAF entered truck and bus production and became Van Doorne’s Automobiel Fabriek. Its first truck was the DAF A30. By the 1950s, DAF was building its own truck cabins, engines, and military vehicles for the Dutch army, including the YA-126 and YA-328.
In 1959, DAF introduced turbocharging on the DD575 diesel engine while competing with Mercedes-Benz in Europe’s heavy-truck market. The company also entered passenger cars. In 1958, it showed the DAF 600 with Variomatic transmission at AutoRAI in Amsterdam, and production began in 1959 as the first mass-produced car with a CVT. In 1975, DAF sold its car division and the Born plant to Volvo Cars and then focused on trucks.
DAF added turbo-intercooling to truck engines in 1973 and gained publicity through Dakar Rally wins in 1982, 1985, and 1987. In 1987, DAF merged with Leyland Trucks, but the combined company collapsed into receivership in 1993. Management revived the Dutch truck business under the DAF Trucks brand. In 1996, PACCAR, owner of Kenworth and Peterbilt, acquired DAF. New LF, CF, and XF ranges followed, and DAF later expanded production to Brazil.
Meaning and History
DAF is believed to have originated in 1928, although it did not exist then. During this period, investor A. H. Huenges helped the workshop owner, Van Doorne, expand the business into a small factory. At first, he worked on commercial trailers, then modified other people’s vehicles.
The first DAF truck was produced in 1949, and passenger car production began in 1958. The brand name is an abbreviation for the full name of Van Doorne’s Automobile Fabriek, where all the equipment was originally manufactured.
Historically, DAF has lacked a well-thought-out identity. Until 1968, cars’ hoods could be decorated with chrome inscriptions, after which a plate with the model name was attached to the radiator grille. In 1972, only the word “DAF” remained on the grill. A little later, Volvo acquired the brand and began to place its emblem on cars.
However, DAF had an official logo. It changed in 1989, two years after the brand became one with Leyland Motors Limited. When PACCAR acquired DAF, it retained the existing identity.
What is DAF?
DAF is an abbreviation formed from the phrase “Doorne’s Aanhangwagen Fabriek.” It is part of the name DAF Trucks, a Dutch truck manufacturer owned by the American company Paccar. Its history dates back to 1928 when the Commanditaire Vennootschap Hub van Doorne’s Machinefabriek workshop was opened. The first truck under the DAF brand was released in 1949, followed by the first passenger car in 1958.
1928 – 1989
The early version of the logo resembled a wheel because the company began with trailers for transporting goods over long distances. This symbol has remained relevant even as the range of vehicles has expanded. It looked like three rings of different diameters, alternating in color (black, white, black). The large inner circle was divided into four parts by perpendicular lines, with a smaller circle at its center.
Next to the wheel, horizontal stripes were depicted: three on the right and three on the left. They were arranged in pairs and matched each other in length. The ends of the longest lines curved upward, forming white circles outlined in black. Perfect symmetry was broken only by the word “DAF,” written above the rings, which formed an arch.
1989 – today
In 1989, the developers simplified the logo. After the redesign, only one horizontal stripe of the complex graphic composition remained, repainted in bright red. She underlines the brand name, now written in big blue letters.
There is another wordmark version with the additional text “A PACCAR COMPANY.” It appeared after the brand changed its owner. The phrase is usually under the red line, but only PACCAR legal members can use it. All three words are black, while the second is highlighted in bold corporate type.
Font and Colors
The modern DAF sign is as simple as possible, containing only an underlined horizontal line inscription. Moreover, the emblem is easy to recognize: it focuses on the brand name and maintains a consistent style. This is the automaker’s main symbol, the central part of its identity.
All three letters in the word are individually bold, sans serif. The stylized “A” draws special attention: it looks like a delta sign with a cut-off top and a space in the lower-left corner. Priority colors are red (#D50017) and blue (#001D7F). The brand guidelines state that the logo can only be placed on a light background, metallic, transparent, gray, or white.