Station Wagons - Name

Name

Station wagon and wagon are the common names in American, Australian, Canadian, and New Zealand English, while estate car and estate are common in British English. Both names harken to the car's role as a shuttle, with storage space for baggage, between country estates and train stations.

Having shared antecedents with the British shooting-brake (originally a wooden-bodied vehicle used to carry shooting parties with their equipment and game), station wagons have been marketed as breaks, using the French term (which is sometimes given fully as break de chasse, literally "hunting break." Early U.S. models often had exposed wooden bodies and were therefore called woodies).

Manufacturers may designate station wagons across various model lines with a proprietary nameplate. Examples include "Estate" (Mercedes-Benz), "Avant" (Audi), "Touring" (BMW), "Break" (Citroën), Kombi or Variant (Volkswagen and Saab) and "Sports Tourer" or Caravan (Opel).