Before World War II the DAF factory in The Netherlands was already well known for its trucks and trailers. During the occupation of Holland the management of factory was taken over by the German command, but this did not stop founder Hub van Doorne to start plans for post-war production. One of his ideas was to make a cheap vehicle that could be mass produced and would not cost much more than a bicycle. In 1941 he made the first sketches of what became the prototype of a raincoat on wheels. The prototype had three wheels and a one-cylinder 125 cc JLO engine that produced a top speed of 55 km/u although this was thought rather dangerous. After the war it became clear to Hub van Doorne that the public wasn’t ready for the idea and the prototype was sold to a clown who used it in his circus act. Due to its instability the ‘raincoat’ regularly fell over and because it only had one door, the clown got trapped when it fell on its right side. After that had happened several times, a hole was cut in the roof. The restored ‘raincoat’ now has a permanent spot in the DAF Museum. But Hub van Doorne really wasn’t too far ahead of his time. Just check this road test by Jeremy Clarkson (YouTube.com).













photos Rutger Booy

November 3, 2007