Longer than that - they were originally horse-drawn.
Shooting brake , station wagon , estate car : they are all different names for the same thing and imply that you have a party who require to be taken shooting / collected from the station / driven around your country estate .
I remember when Mercedes originally launched the W123 estate ( the first factory produced ones ) it was with the qualification that hitherto estate cars had not fitted with the M-B buyer profile , in Germany , at least , such vehicles being considered suitable only for shopkeepers such as grocers and so on .
So we have two opposite views : one that such vehicles are the preserve of the landed aristocracy ; and another that they belong to tradespeople who might otherwise run vans .
I remember when Mercedes originally launched the W123 estate ( the first factory produced ones ) it was with the qualification that hitherto estate cars had not fitted with the M-B buyer profile , in Germany , at least , such vehicles being considered suitable only for shopkeepers such as grocers and so on .
So we have two opposite views : one that such vehicles are the preserve of the landed aristocracy ; and another that they belong to tradespeople who might otherwise run vans .
bpsorrel
MB Enthusiast
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2009
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- 6,027
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- UK and Russia
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- '21 C300 Coupe, '20 SLC Final Edition, Peugeot 208 (hers!) and a new Ford Kuga in Russia
Of course we now have "sport wagons" too! 
Never quite got that one....
Never quite got that one....
RH2013
Member
- Joined
- May 10, 2014
- Messages
- 51
By definition surely Estate for grocers and Shooting Brake for hunting parties are different in class of vehicle if nothing else. I imagine MB and Jaguar with the Sportbrake are trying to conjure up something more sporty than an Estate but with some of the practicality. Personally I needed a practical car that I liked the look of therefore One found Oneself drawn to the Sportbrake.
D
Deleted member 37751
Guest
It derives from the meanings of "brake" which was a four wheeled cart used to "brake"-in horses for carriage, the "shooting" part came the idea to seat rich sorts on a "brake" while "shooting" game.
prprandall51
MB Enthusiast
Let's not forget the Audi Avant.
An "avant" is a vehicle that, whilst larger on the outside, is in fact substantially smaller on the inside than an estate - but without any apparent explanation for the loss of carrying capacity.
An "avant" is a vehicle that, whilst larger on the outside, is in fact substantially smaller on the inside than an estate - but without any apparent explanation for the loss of carrying capacity.
