DAF NV
| Company type | Public (1989–1993) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive (truck manufacturing) |
| Predecessor | DAF Trucks, Leyland Trucks (Rover Group) |
| Founded | April 6, 1987 |
| Defunct | February 1993 |
| Fate | Entered receivership and split into management buyouts |
| Headquarters | Eindhoven, Netherlands; Leyland, England; Birmingham, England , Netherlands, United Kingdom |
Area served | International |
| Products | Trucks, vans |
DAF NV (initially known as DAF BV) was a holding company created in April 1987 by combining DAF Trucks with the Leyland Trucks division of the Rover Group. The company entered receivership in February 1993.
History
On 6 April 1987, the Dutch firm DAF Trucks merged with the Leyland Trucks segment of the British Rover Group, which also included the van division of Freight Rover, resulting in the formation of DAF BV. Ownership was divided, with DAF Beheer holding 60% and Rover Group owning 40%.
By June 1989, the company was publicly traded on both the Amsterdam and London Stock Exchange markets and rebranded as DAF NV. At this time, DAF Beheer and Rover Group (then under British Aerospace) reduced their shares to 22% and 16%, respectively. In the United Kingdom, products were sold under the name Leyland DAF, while in other regions they retained the DAF brand.
Production facilities included truck manufacturing sites located in Eindhoven and Leyland, alongside van production at Washwood Heath near Birmingham. Following a downturn in sales and unsuccessful refinancing efforts, DAF NV entered receivership in February 1993. The company was subsequently split into three separate management buyouts:
- DAF Trucks, focusing on truck production in Eindhoven, predominantly owned by the Flemish and Dutch governments;
- Leyland Trucks, responsible for truck manufacturing in Leyland, England;
- LDV, producing vans in Birmingham, supported by 3i, which continued operations until 2009.
Later developments saw Paccar acquire both DAF Trucks and Leyland Trucks in 1996 and 1998 respectively, while LDV ceased trading, with its intellectual property rights obtained by SAIC Motor.