Outwardly and technically it differed little from its predecessor, the DAF Daffodil.

1966 had seen the introduction of the Michelotti styled DAF 44 which appeared to compete in virtually the same market segment as the Daffodil-based design; but the 33, its development costs presumably long since amortised,[citation needed] remained in production with its new name.

[citation needed] The DAF 33, in common with other DAF cars, featured a continuously variable transmission system, the DAF Variomatic, which used a V-shaped drive belt and two pulleys connected to a limited-slip differential, giving a CVT-like operation.

Notably, this design meant the 33 had almost the same top speed in reverse gear as it did in forward motion: around 70 mph (110 km/h).

This article about a classic post-war automobile produced between 1945 and 1975 is a stub.