DAF amphibious car (1940)

The DAF amphibious car was demonstrated to Dutch army officers in the early months of 1940. A set of web pages in the archive documents two trials with photographs.

Lower Rhine trial, January 1940

The first demonstration took place in January 1940, an exceptionally cold winter, at the Amerongen to Ek en Wiel ferry on the Lower Rhine. Officers present included 1st Lt. Dr. Ir. H. Koopmans, 1st Lt. H. Zoetelief Norman, Major W.P. van den Abeelen and Captain P.B. Cos, who followed proceedings from the bank. The car, with two headlights at the front, drove into the icy river, floated, turned using its front wheels as a rudder and returned to the shore.

IJssel trial, March 1940

A second test was held on the IJssel at Deventer on 12 March 1940. Although the weather was better, it seems to have been less successful: a crane was needed to recover the car from the river bank. Photographs from this trial clearly show the vehicle's symmetrical layout. Two months later Deventer was occupied by German forces and the railway bridge seen in the background was blown up.

The folder also holds material on two later DAF-related amphibians, the Amphirol and an amphibious DAF Porter, described in separate records.