Why did Estate cars get originally called as such?

[Tim203]

Clearly none of you Mercedes experts are aware of the "Dalliance" model from Munter Shunter conversions Ltd. For a couple hundred quid they take your 'elegance' model, badly black film the windows, put some contraceptives in the rear ashtray and toss a bog roll on the rear shelf.

 

[WDB124066]

Sounds sensible, but the term "station wagon" was used even before we had cars. The name was used for the horse-drawn covered wagons taking people, or goods, from the railway stations, but I can't see that a wagon used on a sheep etc station would need a name other than "wagon".

My gooodness you were right in America too.

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[190]

Elsewhere in the world saloon cars are called sedans presumably after the sedan chair. Sedan is arguably a more logical name than saloon.

 

[BTB 500]

Wasn't the Renault 4 regarded as the first hatchback?

Per Wikipedia

The first production hatchback was released by Citroën in 1938: the Citroën 11CV Commerciale. The tailgate has two pieces, a top section hinged from roof level and a bottom section hinged from below. When production of the Commerciale resumed after World War II, the tailgate became a one-piece design which was hinged from roof level, as per the design used on most hatchbacks since.

 

[Darrell]

Clearly none of you Mercedes experts are aware of the "Dalliance" model from Munter Shunter conversions Ltd. For a couple hundred quid they take your 'elegance' model, badly black film the windows, put some contraceptives in the rear ashtray and toss a bog roll on the rear shelf.

I had one of them!

 

[Yugguy]

To be fair the word "estate" makes much more sense than today's acronyms.

SUV.

What is sporty about a top heavy dynamically compromised car? Every car is utilitarian, it can be used for many purposes. I guess it is at least a vehicle.