Netherlands · Dutch-market launch version, built 1972–1973 before the 1300 Marathon replaced it

DAF 66 Coupé 1100 Marathon

The DAF 66 Marathon mixed a small Renault-designed engine with DAF's belt-driven automatic gearbox. There were no fixed gear steps: the Variomatic continually changed its ratio while a new De Dion rear axle helped keep the tires planted.

Clever engineering

1974 DAF 66 1300 Marathon; correct Marathon trim and body, two years later than the 1972 launch target.

Profile cover · representative later year trim · Photo shows 1974 DAF 66 1300 Marathon; correct Marathon trim and body, two years later than the 1972 launch target.. 1974 DAF 66 1300 Marathon; correct Marathon trim and body, two years later than the 1972 launch target.
1972 Netherlands DAF 66 Marathon profile cover · TaurusEmerald · CC BY-SA 4.0

Auction-based estimated value

Research pending

A matching completed auction sale has not been verified for this exact year, body, trim, engine, transmission and market.

Joyride shows this gap instead of substituting an asking price, unsold bid or mismatched special vehicle.

A place in vehicle history

More than a set of wheels.

The 66 replaced the 55 in 1972. Its biggest mechanical change was a redesigned Variomatic with a differential, paired with a De Dion rear axle. The launch-year 1100 Marathon coupé added a tuned engine, side stripes and 13-inch steel wheels, but lasted only one production year before the 1.3-litre version took over.

Look a little closer.

DAF Club Nederland records only 3,416 examples of the 1100 Marathon coupé, making this exact launch version much scarcer than the whole DAF 66 family.

Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.

Why the new rear axle mattered

Earlier small DAFs combined Variomatic drive with swing axles. On the 66, DAF packaged a differential into the revised transmission and used a De Dion tube to keep the rear wheels more consistently aligned. The engineering goal was not simply novelty: it was smoother low-speed turning, better handling and more comfort.

Source: DAF Club Nederland — DAF 66 model archive ↗

The one-year 1100 Marathon boundary

The original 66 Marathon used 1,108 cc and lacked the later 1300's grille-mounted auxiliary lamps. In 1973, the 1,289 cc 1300 Marathon became the new flagship. Photos or specifications that show a 1300 badge, those lamps or 1,289 cc therefore belong to a different version even though the body can look nearly identical.

Source: DAF Club Nederland — 66 Coupé 1100 Marathon ↗

Where these facts come from

Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed October 2, 2026.

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