Tjorven (vehicle)
Encyclopedia
The Kalmar KVD440/441, also variously known as Tjorven or DAF Kalmar, is a delivery van
based on the DAF 44
, made in Sweden. The vehicle inherited the air-cooled, 844cc boxer engine and Variomatic
transmission from the DAF 44
.
In the mid-sixties Posten AB (Swedish Mail) needed a new vehicle for mail delivery, and contacted Kalmar Verkstad, who developed and built it between 1969 and 1971. On the export market it was simply called Kalmar. In addition to the generous heating provided by the air-cooled engine, to provide appropriate heating for postmen, some units were fitted with a gasoline-powered Eberspächer heater under the driver's seat, with a dedicated exhaust pipe.
"Tjorven" was a nickname given to the Kalmar as its rather frumpy appearance was reminiscent of a contemporary Swedish television character
of that name.
It was RHD for easy driver access to road side letter box
es, frame-built with a fiberglass
bodywork.
Van
A van is a kind of vehicle used for transporting goods or groups of people.In British English usage, it can be either specially designed or based on a saloon or sedan car, the latter type often including derivatives with open backs...
based on the DAF 44
DAF 44
The DAF 44 is a small family car that was introduced in September 1966 by the Dutch company DAF. It was the first car to be built at the company's new plant at Born in Limburg...
, made in Sweden. The vehicle inherited the air-cooled, 844cc boxer engine and Variomatic
Variomatic
Variomatic is the stepless, fully automatic transmission of the Dutch car manufacturer DAF, originally developed by Hub van Doorne: this consists of a "V" shaped drive belt and two pulleys, each of two cones, whose effective diameter can be changed so that the "V" belt runs nearer the spindle or...
transmission from the DAF 44
DAF 44
The DAF 44 is a small family car that was introduced in September 1966 by the Dutch company DAF. It was the first car to be built at the company's new plant at Born in Limburg...
.
In the mid-sixties Posten AB (Swedish Mail) needed a new vehicle for mail delivery, and contacted Kalmar Verkstad, who developed and built it between 1969 and 1971. On the export market it was simply called Kalmar. In addition to the generous heating provided by the air-cooled engine, to provide appropriate heating for postmen, some units were fitted with a gasoline-powered Eberspächer heater under the driver's seat, with a dedicated exhaust pipe.
"Tjorven" was a nickname given to the Kalmar as its rather frumpy appearance was reminiscent of a contemporary Swedish television character
Tjorven
The name "Tjorven" comes from a popular Swedish family-show on television in the early 1960s. Based on a book by the Swedish author Astrid Lindgren, the story is about a number of characters living in the archipelago outside Stockholm...
of that name.
It was RHD for easy driver access to road side letter box
Letter box
A letter box, letterbox, letter plate, letter hole, mail slot, or mailbox is a receptacle for receiving incoming mail at a private residence or business...
es, frame-built with a fiberglass
Fiberglass
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...
bodywork.