A station wagon (or simply wagon) in American, Australian, Canadian and New Zealand usage and an estate car, or just estate in British usage, is a passenger automobile with a body style similar to a sedan (saloon in British usage) but with the roofline following an extended rear cargo area. Phonology North American English regional phonology In many ways compared to English English, North American English is conservative in its Phonology. Australian English ( AuE, AusE, en-AU) is the form of the English language used in Australia. New Zealand English ( NZE, en-NZ) is the form of the English language used in New Zealand. British English or UK English ( BrE, BE, en-GB) is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the Cars can come in a large variety of different body styles. Some are still in production while others are of historical interest only

2008 Volvo XC70

Certain cars with this body style have historically been called a shooting brake, a British term. The Volvo V70 is a mid-size five-door station wagon / estate manufactured by Volvo Cars since 1996 &mdash and closely related to the S70, S60 Shooting-brake is a Car body style originally used to describe Bespoke versions of 2-door luxury estate cars built for use by hunters as well as golfers British English or UK English ( BrE, BE, en-GB) is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the A few models are referred to as a break, using the French term (which is sometimes given in full as break de chasse — literally "hunting break"). French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people The German term for this type, Kombi or combi, is also sometimes used. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Volkswagen's proprietary name for a Kombi is Variant, Opel sometimes uses the word Caravan, BMW uses Touring, and Audi's wagons are called Avant. Adam Opel GmbH (commonly known as Opel) is a German automaker part of General Motors. ( BMW) (Bavarian Motor Works is an independent German automobile manufacturer founded in 1916 AUDI AG, ( Xetra: NSU commonly known as Audi (aˈʊdi is a German Automobile manufacturer which produces Audi branded cars with headquarters Fiat often uses the term Weekend, while Alfa Romeo uses Sportwagon. Fiat SpA (an Acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino (Italian Automobile Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer Alfa Romeo Automobiles SpA is an Italian Automaker founded in 1910 Peugeot and Land Rover have sometimes used "station wagon" even in markets which use British English. For the article about the bicycle manufacturer see Cycles Peugeot. Land Rover is an all-terrain vehicle and Multi Purpose Vehicle (MPV manufacturer based in Solihull, England, now operated as part of the Jaguar Another term infrequently used by some American and Australian car makers is station sedan.

Most station wagons are modified sedan-type car bodies, having the main interior area extended to the near-vertical rear window over what would otherwise be the enclosed area of the sedan version. A hatchback car, although meeting a similar description, would not enjoy the full height of the passenger cabin all the way to the back; the rear glass of a hatchback being sloped further from vertical, and the hatch tending not to reach fully to the rear bumper, as it commonly would in a station wagon. Hatchback is a term designating an Automobile design containing a passenger cabin with an integrated Cargo space accessed from behind the vehicle by a single Station wagons also have side windows over the cargo area, whereas some hatchbacks have thick "C" pillars and no cargo area windows. Two exceptions to this rule include Rambler station wagons (1952–62) on which the roof line subtly dipped down over the cargo area, and GM's Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser (1964–72) and Buick Sportwagon (1964–70) on which the rear roof section was slightly elevated and combined with four skylights; the "sportwagon" name has been popularised again in recent years by some manufacturers. Rambler was an Automobile brand name used by the Thomas B Jeffery Company between 1900 and 1914 then by its successor Nash Motors from 1950 to 1954 General Motors Corporation ( GM) ( is a multinational automobile manufacturer founded in 1908 and headquartered in the United States. Oldsmobile was a brand of Automobile produced for most of its existence by General Motors. The Vista Cruiser was a Station wagon built by the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors from 1964 to 1977 which was based on the Oldsmobile Buick (ˈbjuːɪk is a Marque of automobile sold in the United States, Canada, China, Taiwan, Qatar, and Certain models of Land Rover have also been described by the manufacturer as station wagons (even in British usage); these had a tall wagon-like body with extra "alpine lights", or windows, above the cargo bay side windows. The Land Rover Series I, II, and III are Off-road vehicles produced by the British manufacturer Land Rover that were inspired by the U

A station wagon is distinguished from a minivan (multi-purpose vehicle) or sport utility vehicle by still being a car, sharing its forward bodywork with other cars in a manufacturer's range. A minivan, multi-purpose vehicle (abbreviated MPV) people-carrier, people-mover or multi-utility vehicle (shortened A minivan, multi-purpose vehicle (abbreviated MPV) people-carrier, people-mover or multi-utility vehicle (shortened A sport utility vehicle ( SUV) is a generic marketing description for a rugged automotive vehicle similar to a Station wagon but built on a light-truck chassis The popularity of the minivan in the 1980s and early 1990s is credited with the decline of the traditional station wagon.

This modified MG ZT-T became the world's fastest estate/station wagon in 2003

History

1926 York bodied open air Ford station wagon

The first station wagons were a product of the age of train travel. The MG ZT is a high-performance version of the Rover 75 Executive car, produced by MG at their Longbridge site in Birmingham. A train is a connected series of vehicles that move along a track ( Permanent way) to transport freight or passengers from one place to another They were originally called 'depot hacks' because they worked around train depots as hacks (short for hackney carriage, an old name for taxis). See also Taxicab ||-||-||}A hackney or hackney carriage (also called a cab or hack) is a Carriage or Automobile A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of Public transport for a single passenger or small group of passengers typically for a non-shared ride They also came to be known as 'carryalls' and 'suburbans'. The name 'station wagon' is a derivative of 'depot hack'; it was a wagon that carried people and luggage from the train station to various local destinations.

Prior to mid-1930s, hardwoods were used by most automotive makes in framing the passenger compartments of their passenger vehicles. In automobiles, the framing was sheathed in steel which was then covered in colored lacquers for protection. Eventually, all steel bodies were adopted because of their strength, cost and durability. ^[1]

Early station wagons evolved from trucks and were viewed as commercials (along with vans and pickup trucks), not consumer automobiles. A commercial vehicle is a type of Vehicle that is used for carrying goods or passengers A van is a kind of vehicle used for Transporting goods or groups of people A pickup truck is a light Motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area which is almost always separated from the cab to allow for chassis flex when carrying or pulling The framing of the early station wagons were left unsheathed because of the commercial nature of the vehicles. Early station wagons were fixed roof vehicles, but lacked the glass that would enclose the passenger compartment, and had only bench seats. ^[2] In lieu of glass, side curtains of canvas could be unrolled. More rigid curtains could be snapped in place to protect passengers from the elements outside.

In 1922 Essex introduced the first affordable enclosed automobile (sedan), which shifted the auto industry away from open vehicles towards meeting consumer demand for enclosed automobiles. The Essex was a brand of automobile produced by the Essex Motor Company from 1918 -1922 and Hudson Motor Company of Detroit Michigan between 1922 and 1932 Station wagons too, began to be enclosed, especially in higher price categories from up market automobile companies. Windows in these early enclosed models were either retractable or sliding. It was only in 1924 the first closed wagon appeared. ^[3]

Pontiac woodie

Initially, manufacture of the wagon's passenger compartments was outsourced to custom body builders because of the slower nature of the production of the all wood bodies. Companies that were major producers of wood bodied station wagons included Mitchell Bentley, Hercules, USB&F and Cantrell and other custom builders. The roofs of woodie wagons were usual made of stretched canvas that was treated with a water proofing dressing.

As time went by the car companies themselves began building their own station wagons. Star (a division of Durant Motors) is usually credited as being the first car company to offer a factory-built station wagon, beginning in 1923, yet in 1919, Stoughton Wagon Company (Stoughton, Wisconsin) began putting custom wagon bodies on Model T chassis;^[4] by 1929 Ford was by far the biggest seller of station wagons. This article is about the American automobile To see the article on the British Star Car Company, go to Star Motor Company. Durant Motors Inc was established in 1921 by former General Motors CEO William Crapo Durant (also known as Billy Durant following his termination by the GM Stoughton is a city in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. Wisconsin ( or wɪˈskɑnsɨn (French Ouisconsin) is one of the fifty United States of America, located in the north central part of the United States Ford Motor Company is an American Multinational corporation and the world's fourth largest automaker based on Worldwide vehicle sales, following Since Ford owned its own hardwood forest and mills, it began supplying the components for a Model A wagon (although initially some final assembly would still take place away from the factory, by Briggs, in Detroit), with wood from the Mengel Company (Louisville). Briggs could refer to Briggs cliff a fictional place in Fullmetal Alchemist manga Briggs (crater, a lunar crater Briggs ^[5] The same year, J. T. Cantrell put woodie bodies on Chrysler vehicles (persisting until 1931). Chrysler LLC is an American Automobile manufacturer that has been producing Automobiles since 1925 ^[6]

While commercial in its origins, by the mid-1930s, wood bodied station wagons, also known as “Woodies”, began to take on a prestige aura. The vehicles were priced higher than regular cars, but were popular in affluent communities, especially among the Country Club social set. A country club is a private Club which offers a variety of recreational Sports facilities usually located in city outskirts or rural areas The vehicles gained in “snob appeal” when mating the utility of the hard wood bodies to better makes of automobiles such as Buick, Packard, Pierce-Arrow. Buick (ˈbjuːɪk is a Marque of automobile sold in the United States, Canada, China, Taiwan, Qatar, and Packard was an American luxury Automobile marque built by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit Michigan, and later by the Studebaker-Packard Corporation If you were looking for the Peirce arrow, you will find it here. By 1941, the Chrysler Town and Country was the most expensive car in the company's lineup. This article is about the minivan To see the article about other cars named the Town and Country see Chrysler Town and Country (pre-1990.

Cachet aside, woodie wagons required constant maintenance; bodies were finished in varnishes that required recoating, bolts and screws required tightening as wood expanded and contracted throughout the seasons.

This helped prod General Motors to introduce a steel-bodied eight-seat Suburban wagon in 1935. General Motors Corporation ( GM) ( is a multinational automobile manufacturer founded in 1908 and headquartered in the United States. The Chevrolet Suburban is a large Sport utility vehicle from Chevrolet. ^[7]

All-steel wagons

1949 Plymouth Suburban station wagon, the first production all-steel bodied station wagon based upon a passenger car; coincidentally similar to the Chevrolet Suburban. The Chevrolet Suburban is a large Sport utility vehicle from Chevrolet.

Following World War II, automobile production from preexisting manufacturers resumed using tooling left over from 1942. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including However, advancement in production techniques learned over the course of World War II made all-steel station wagons practical when automobile manufacturers switched over to new designs. Moreover, production costs of the wooden bodies were high and they offered a disadvantage for owners because they squeaked, groaned, rotted, and required nearly constant upkeep. ^[8]

The first factory-built all-steel station wagon in North America was the 1946 Jeep Station Wagon, based upon the rugged Jeep produced by Willys-Overland during the war. Willys was the brand name used by the United States Automobile company Willys-Overland Motors best known for its production of military and civilian ^[9][10] The Willys was a two-door vehicle, and in premium trim had its passenger compartment exterior painted in a style that evoked the light framing/darker panel design of wagons from the woodie era. A trim package is an Automotive package composed by a set of cosmetic (mostly non-functional Embellishments to a Vehicle. Since it was Jeep-based, some considered more of a utility vehicle than a "real" car. ^[8] Chevrolet introduced in 1935 the first Chevy Suburban, an all-steel station wagon body, but it was built on a truck (or commercial) chassis. During 1947, the small car manufacturer, Crosley introduced an all-steel car-based wagon. The Crosley was an Automobile manufactured by the Crosley Corporation and later by Crosley Motors Incorporated in the United States

In 1949, Plymouth introduced the first all-steel station wagon, the two-door Suburban, that was based on an automotive platform. Plymouth (founded 1928 - dissolved 2001 is a Marque of Automobile based in the United States, marketed by the Chrysler Corporation In 1950 Plymouth discontinued the woody station wagon in its line and converted to all steel bodies; and because it was too coincidental to the Chevrolet Suburban. The Chevrolet Suburban is a large Sport utility vehicle from Chevrolet. Buick was the last automobile manufacturer to produce a station wagon with a true wooden structure in 1953. Buick (ˈbjuːɪk is a Marque of automobile sold in the United States, Canada, China, Taiwan, Qatar, and

By 1955, only Ford and Mercury offered a woody-like model;[1] however the look was accomplished with steel, plastics and various materials, such as DiNoc (a vinyl product) to simulate broad expanses of wood. Ford Motor Company is an American Multinational corporation and the world's fourth largest automaker based on Worldwide vehicle sales, following Mercury is an Automobile Marque of the Ford Motor Company founded in 1939 by Edsel Ford, son of Henry Ford, to market entry-level-luxury Plastic is the general common term for a wide range of synthetic or semisynthetic organic solid materials suitable for the manufacture of industrial products A vinyl compound is any Organic compound that contains a vinyl group (also called ethenyl) &minus C[[Hydrogen H]] =CH sub>2 Known as the Ford Country Squire, this heavily-trimmed full-size wagon was a staple of the Ford line from the 1940s to the 1990s. The Ford Country Squire was a Full-size Station wagon built by the Ford Motor Company from 1950 until 1991 it was based on the Ford full-size

Reintroduction of woody decorated station wagons by other makers in America began in 1966 when Dodge offered the look for the first time in fifteen years. By 1967, simulated "wood" decoration was used exclusively on top line models, with unadorned vehicles denoting lower price and status models.

In many suburban communities, owning a current year woody station wagon was a sign of affluence and good taste. In the 1980s and early 1990s, the idea of "fake wood" became archaic and manufacturers dropped the option. With the introduction of the retro-styled Chrysler PT Cruiser, aftermarket firms began selling faux woodie kits designed to evoke a sense of nostalgia. The Chrysler PT Cruiser is a typically American " Retro "-styled Station wagon or Hatchback built by Chrysler, launched in 2000 as an

1958 AMC Ambassador 4-door pillarless hardtop station wagon

Station wagons enjoyed their greatest popularity and highest production levels in the United States during from the 1950s through the 1970s. The Ambassador was the top-line automobile produced by the American Motors Corporation (AMC from 1958 until 1974 The late 1950s through the mid 1960s was also the period of greatest variation in bodystyles, with pillared two and four-door models marketed alongside hardtop (no B-pillar) four door models. A hardtop is a term for a rigid rather than canvas Automobile roof As the sporty, airy, and open look of pillarless styling was catching on for regular passenger cars, the first to utilize it was American Motors in its Rambler Cross-Country wagons. American Motors Corporation (AMC was an American automobile company formed on January 14 1954 by the merger of the Nash-Kelvinator Corporation ^[11] Rambler offered a four-door this body style in 1956, followed by Mercury, Oldsmobile, and Buick in 1957; Chrysler entered the market in 1960. Expensive to produce and buy, the hardtop wagon sold in limited numbers. The pillarless design added wind noise, as well as structural issues in trying to eliminate body twist. ^[12] GM was the first to eliminate the hardtop wagon from its lineup in 1959, and AMC and Ford exited the field beginning with their 1960 and 1961 vehicles, leaving Chrysler and Dodge with the body style through the 1964 model year.

Full-size wagons

1967 Ford Country Squire - a full size station wagon

Traditionally, full-sized American station wagons were configured for 6 or 9 passengers. The basic arrangement, for seating six, was three passengers in the front and three passengers in the rear, all on bench-type seats; to accommodate nine, a third bench seat - often facing backward, but sometimes facing forward or sideways - was installed in the rear cargo area, over the rear axle. In Ford and Mercury wagons built after 1964, the configuration was changed to two seats facing each other, placed behind the rear axle. According to Ford, each seat would accommodate two people, raising the total seating capacity to ten passengers; however, these seats were quite narrow in later models and could only accommodate one passenger, limiting the total capacity to eight passengers.

Newer models are usually built on smaller platforms and accommodate five or six passengers (depending on whether bucket or bench seats are fitted in front). Full-size SUVs such as the Chevrolet Suburban and Ford Expedition have similar features to the aforementioned full-size station wagons; such as 9-passenger seating with bench seating in the front. The Chevrolet Suburban is a large Sport utility vehicle from Chevrolet. The Ford Expedition is a Full-size SUV built by the Ford Motor Company. The traditional seat installed in American Automobiles was the bench seat. Also, many people claim the SUVs to be a "station wagon" under the vehicle's registration title.

Two-door wagons

1952 Nash Rambler Cross Country wagon

Mercury Commuter 2-door hardtop station wagon.

Saab 95

Lloyd Alexander Kombi - a small two door wagon

In 1951, the compact 100-inch (2,540 mm) wheelbase Nash Rambler line included a two-door station wagon design whose production continued through 1955. Norddeutsche Automobil und Motoren GmbH was a German brand created in 1908 and was owned by the Norddeutsche Lloyd shipping company A compact (North America small family (European or c-segment car is a classification of cars which are larger than a supermini After merger of merger of Nash and Hudson, the new company, American Motors (AMC) reintroduced the two-door wagon in the "new" Rambler American line in 1959 with only a few modifications from the original version. Nash-Kelvinator Corporation was the result of a merger between Nash Motors and Kelvinator Appliance Company The Hudson Motor Car Company made Hudson and other brand Automobiles in Detroit Michigan, from 1909 to 1954 American Motors Corporation (AMC was an American automobile company formed on January 14 1954 by the merger of the Nash-Kelvinator Corporation The Rambler American was an automobile manufactured by the American Motors Corporation (AMC between 1958 and 1969 This was popular design targeting buyers looking for economy and load space, as well as a business strategy of marketing an old design that has not been successfully duplicated to this day.

In 1955, 1956, and 1957, Chevrolet produced the Nomad, and Pontiac the sibling Safari, both of which were sporty two-door wagons. The Chevrolet Nomad was a Station wagon model produced by the Chevrolet Division of General Motors. Safari was a name first applied to Pontiac's version of the 2-door Nomad station wagon Limited demand for the style (in their home market, the U. S. ) resulted in cancellation after three model years. For 1958, both model names were applied to pillared four-door wagon models. Chevrolet dropped the Nomad name at the end of the 1961 model year, while Pontiac continued to use the Safari name into the 1980s. Mercury, a division of the Ford Motor Company, produced a two-door hardtop wagon from 1957 to 1960. Mercury is an Automobile Marque of the Ford Motor Company founded in 1939 by Edsel Ford, son of Henry Ford, to market entry-level-luxury Ford Motor Company is an American Multinational corporation and the world's fourth largest automaker based on Worldwide vehicle sales, following When Mercury lost its unique body designs in 1961, the marque lost its hardtop wagons and instead fielded pillared models.

The 1970s were something of a high point for two-door wagons in the U. S. , as many manufacturers fielded an example in their Subcompact car lines. A subcompact car is an Automobile in a North American Vehicle size class, encompassing vehicles smaller than Compact cars According to the Between 1972 and 1980, a two-door wagon version of the Ford Pinto and Mercury Bobcat was available. The Ford Pinto was a subcompact manufactured by the Ford Motor Company for the North American market first introduced on September 11, 1970 The Ford Pinto was a subcompact manufactured by the Ford Motor Company for the North American market first introduced on September 11, 1970 A two-door wagon version of the Chevrolet Vega was available between 1971 and 1977; the near-identical Pontiac Astre offered the same body style between 1973 and 1977 and the similar Chevrolet Monza wagon was sold in 1978 and 1979. The Chevrolet Vega was a Subcompact car sold from 1971 through 1977 The Chevrolet Vega was a Subcompact car sold from 1971 through 1977 See also Opel Monza, an unrelated vehicle marketed by General Motors' European subsidiary The Chevrolet Monza was a rear-wheel drive subcompact American Motors also entered the market with a wagon version of the AMC Pacer, produced between 1977 and 1980. The AMC Pacer is a two-door compact Automobile produced in the United States by the American Motors Corporation between 1975 and 1980 The last two-door wagon available in America, the Volkswagen Fox, was discontinued in 1990. The Volkswagen Fox is a supermini produced and designed by Volkswagen do Brasil and sold in Latin America since 2004 and Europe since 2005

More utilitarian two-door wagons were known as "sedan delivery" cars, often with solid panels where the rear side windows would be. A sedan delivery (Car derived van in British English commonly called a delivery in US is a two-door Station wagon with solid panels in place of the rear side windows These were produced in the United States into the 1970s (with panel versions of the Vega and Pinto available).

The Swedish Saab 95 was available from 1959-78; a two-door estate based on a two-door fastback saloon/sedan. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. This article is about the 1959-1978 Saab station wagon/Estate car for the current Saab model see Saab 9-5 The Saab 95 was a 7-seater 2-door

In the United Kingdom, estate car versions of small and middle sized models were more common. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Estate versions of the Morris 1000 ("Minor") and Mini, with external ash wood frames (structural on the 1000) were popular; they both had 2 vertically divided van-type rear doors in the style of older shooting brakes (see "Station wagons around the world", below). The revolutionary Morris Minor was launched at the Earls Court Motor Show on 20 September, 1948. The Mini is a small car that was produced by the British Motor Corporation (BMC and its successors from 1959 until 2000 Shooting-brake is a Car body style originally used to describe Bespoke versions of 2-door luxury estate cars built for use by hunters as well as golfers A station wagon (or simply wagon) in American, Australian, Canadian and New Zealand usage and an estate car (or just estate The Hillman Husky estate version of the Hillman Imp was unusual in being a rear-engined estate. Hillman Husky can refer to several different vehicles produced by British car manufacturer the Rootes group under their Hillman marque The Hillman Imp is a compact rear-engined saloon car that was manufactured under the Hillman Marque by the Rootes Group (later Chrysler

Other two-door estates from Western Europe included the Ford Escort, Morris 1100, Vauxhall Viva, Vauxhall Chevette, and Fiat 127. Western Europe at its most general meaning means 'all the countries in the West of Europe ' Over the years the name 'Ford Escort' has been used for several models ADO16 is the codename for the development of what became the Morris 1100, a small family car built by the British Motor Corporation (BMC and later The Viva was produced by Vauxhall Motors in a succession of three versions between 1963 and 1979 The Chevette was a model of car manufactured by Vauxhall in the UK from 1975 to 1983 The Fiat 127 is a supermini produced by the Italian automaker Fiat between 1971 and 1983

More unusual British two-door estates included the Lynx Eventer estate based on the Jaguar XJS, and reminiscent of the Reliant Scimitar, and a one-off Jaguar XK120-based wagon with Morris 1000 rear doors grafted to the body.

Declining popularity in North America

Sales of station wagons in the United States and Canada remained strong until 1984, when the Chrysler Corporation introduced the first minivans, derived from the K platform, which, ironically, also was the platform for the Plymouth Reliant and Dodge Aries station wagon models which the minivan would soon eclipse. The Chrysler Corporation 's K-cars were compact-to-midsize cars designed to carry six adults on two Bench seats and were aimed not only to replace Chrysler's nominally-compact The Plymouth Reliant (or Reliant K, as it was sometimes called was one of the first two so-called " K-cars quot (the other being the Dodge The Dodge Aries was an Automobile sold by the Chrysler Corporation from 1981 to 1989

The ripple effect of the 1973 Arab Oil Embargo led to the demise of the station wagon where CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) legislation dethroned the rear wheel drive layout for efficient front wheel drive vehicles. Front-wheel drive (or FF layout) is a form of engine / transmission layout used in Motor vehicles where the engine drives the front Wheels Station wagons were the victims of Detroit's downsizing trend after 1976, and vehicle choice was limited to SUVs like the Chevrolet Suburban and van conversions (GMC Vandura) which filled the void of station wagon sales, but had much worse fuel efficiency. The Chevrolet Suburban is a large Sport utility vehicle from Chevrolet. This page talks about the 1964-1996 Chevrolet Van and GMC Vandura This, indeed, led to the station wagon's demise.

Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon

The emergence and popularity of SUVs which closely approximate the traditional wagon bodystyle was a further blow. The Roadmaster was an automobile built by the Buick division of General Motors. After struggling sales, the last full-size wagons (the Chevrolet Caprice and the Buick Roadmaster) in American production were discontinued in 1996, but, in 2005 the Dodge Magnum was launched, although it is more similar in size to the Ford Taurus wagon than the larger Roadmaster and Caprice. The Chevrolet Caprice and Caprice Classic were full-sized Automobiles produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors in the United The Roadmaster was an automobile built by the Buick division of General Motors. The Dodge Magnum name has been used on a number of different Automobiles The most recent is a large Rear-wheel drive Station wagon introduced in 2004 The Ford Taurus is an Automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States.

Since then, smaller wagons have been sold in the U. S. as less expensive alternatives to SUVs and minivans. Domestic wagons also remained in the Ford, Mercury, and Saturn lines until 2004 when the bodies began a phase-out, replaced by car-based crossover SUVs and minivans designed to look like station wagons. A Crossover &mdash variously called XUV or CUV, for crossover utility vehicle &mdash is a marketing term for a vehicle that derives from a car while borrowing

Ford Focus wagon

The last subcompact station wagon produced in the United States and Canada was the 1992 Toyota Corolla. A subcompact car is an Automobile in a North American Vehicle size class, encompassing vehicles smaller than Compact cars According to the The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The Toyota Corolla is a line of subcompact / Compact cars produced by the Japanese Automaker Toyota, which has become very popular throughout Compact station wagons have been declining since the 2000s although 2003 saw the introduction of the Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe. A compact (North America small family (European or c-segment car is a classification of cars which are larger than a supermini The Toyota Matrix, occasionally referred to as the Toyota Corolla Matrix, is a compact Hatchback manufactured by Toyota Motor Corporation The Pontiac Vibe is a compact Hatchback car produced in Fremont California, in the United States by NUMMI (New United Ford dropped the Ford Focus wagon for 2007, and Subaru replaced the Impreza wagon with a 5-door hatchback model. The Ford Focus is a Compact car sold in the North American market is the automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries Co The Subaru Impreza' is a Compact car that was first introduced by Subaru in 1993

Station wagons around the world

Volkswagen Passat Variant - still popular in Europe

In Europe, Australia and New Zealand, these vehicles remain popular and in volume production, although minivans (known in Europe as MPVs — multi-purpose vehicles) and the like have had some impact. The Volkswagen Passat is a Family car built by Volkswagen through six design generations since 1973 For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island As in North America, early station wagons were aftermarket conversions and had their new bodywork built with a wooden frame, sometimes with wooden panels, sometimes steel. Station wagons were the originators of fold down seats to accommodate passengers or cargo.

In the United Kingdom, station wagons are generally called estate cars or usually just estates. A very specific type, rare these days, is known as a shooting brake. Shooting-brake is a Car body style originally used to describe Bespoke versions of 2-door luxury estate cars built for use by hunters as well as golfers These are usually modified luxury coupés with an estate car-like back fitted. They generally retain two side doors. The purpose of them, historically, is obvious from the name; they were vehicles for the well-off shooter and hunter, giving space to carry shotguns and other equipment. A shotgun (also known as a scattergun) is a Firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number They have rarely been made by the factory and are generally aftermarket conversions; some are still made. Until the early 1960s many of them were built with structural wooden rear frames, making them some of the most exclusive and luxurious "woodies" ever built. A smaller Estate car was the very popular Morris Minor Traveller Estate which copied the wooden side panel frames of larger designs. The revolutionary Morris Minor was launched at the Earls Court Motor Show on 20 September, 1948. Most small cars produced in the UK from the 1950s until the 1980s had Estate versions,some of which were also used as small delivery vans minus the rear windows.

1966 Land Rover Series IIa Station Wagon (more like an SUV)

In the 1950s, the British companies Rover and Austin produced 4x4 vehicles (the Land Rover and the Gypsy respectively). A sport utility vehicle ( SUV) is a generic marketing description for a rugged automotive vehicle similar to a Station wagon but built on a light-truck chassis Land Rover is an all-terrain vehicle and Multi Purpose Vehicle (MPV manufacturer based in Solihull, England, now operated as part of the Jaguar The Austin Gipsy was Austin's attempt at an off-road capable vehicle to compete with Rover 's Land Rover. Apart from the standard canvas-topped utility vehicles, both these 4x4s were available in estate car bodystyles that were sold as "Station Wagons". These bodystyles incorporated more comfortable seating and trim when compared with the standard editions (which were typically aimed at agricultural and military buyers) and together with options such as heaters these changes made the Station Wagon vehicles more attractive to private buyers. The name was alien in the UK, but was probably chosen because of the high number of these vehicles that went to export markets such as Africa and Australia, where the name was understood. Land Rover still calls the passenger-carrying variations of its Defender model 'Station Wagons'. The Land Rover Defender is a British four wheel drive Off-road utility vehicle

In France almost all station wagon models are called the Break (note the different spelling from the English shooting brake). This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. A brake, also spelled break, was a type of horse-drawn Carriage used in the nineteenth and early 20th centuries French breaks from Peugeot and Citroën in particular were available in seven- or eight-seater "family" versions long before MPVs became known in Europe. For the article about the bicycle manufacturer see Cycles Peugeot. Citroën (pronounced See-Troh-Enn is a French Automobile manufacturer, founded in 1919 by André Citroën.

European manufacturers often built two-door station wagons in the post-war period for the compact class, and not four-door models, a practice that continued at Ford (amongst others) with its Escort Mk III, for example, well into the 1980s. Over the years the name 'Ford Escort' has been used for several models Usually, by that time, manufacturers created four-door models.

The German Volkswagen Polo crossed type divisions by offering a two-door estate shape as the main model in its range in some markets in the 1980s. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The Volkswagen Polo is a Supermini car manufactured by Volkswagen. The Czech VW subsidiary, Škoda Auto, produces Estate/Kombi versions of the Felicia,Fabia and Octavia. Škoda Auto ( is an automobile manufacturer in the Czech Republic.

1972 Citroën DS Break

Japanese manufacturers did not value station wagons highly until very recently. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. For many years, models sold as well-appointed station wagons in export markets were sold as utilitarian "van" models in the home market. This explains why station wagons were not updated for consecutive generations in a model's life in Japan: for instance, while a sedan might have a model life of four years, the wagon was expected to serve eight — the 1979 Toyota Corolla (built until 1987), and the 1987 Mazda Capella (built until 1996) are examples of this. The Toyota Corolla is a line of subcompact / Compact cars produced by the Japanese Automaker Toyota, which has become very popular throughout Capella is the Japanese domestic market name for Mazda 's midsize family car larger than the Familia / 323 but smaller than the Luce The Nissan Avenir is an example of a model that began its life as a utility vehicle, and became a well equipped passenger car in the 1990s. The Nissan Avenir is a line of Station wagons beginning production in 1990 by Nissan of Japan, aimed primarily at the commercial market

An Australian Ford BA Falcon station wagon

In Australia and New Zealand, the most popular station wagons are the large Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore models. The Ford BA Falcon is a Full-size car, produced by the Ford Motor Company of Australia, between September 2002 and October 2005 For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island The Ford Falcon is a Full-size car which has been manufactured by Ford Australia since 1960 The Holden Commodore is an Automobile manufactured by the Holden division of General Motors (GM in Australia and formerly in New Zealand These are usually built on a longer wheelbase compared to their sedan counterparts, though they share the same door skins, leading to a slightly unusual appearance with the rear door not reaching all the way to the rear wheel arch. In both road and rail Vehicles the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels Mitsubishi's Australian subsidiary designed wagon versions of its Magna and Verada for the local market, although it no longer offers a large wagon. is the sixth largest Automaker in Japan and the seventeenth largest in the world by global unit sales The Mitsubishi Magna is a Mid-size car built between May 1985 to September 2005 by Mitsubishi Motors Australia (MMAL at the Clovelly Park South Australia The Mitsubishi Magna is a Mid-size car built between May 1985 to September 2005 by Mitsubishi Motors Australia (MMAL at the Clovelly Park South Australia Similarly, Toyota no longer offers a wagon version of the Camry. (pronounced) is a Multinational corporation headquartered in Japan, and is currently the world's largest Automaker. The Toyota Camry is a Mid-size car, formerly a Compact car manufactured by Toyota since 1980

Smaller wagons have declined in popularity, in comparison with Europe, although they have traditionally been more popular in New Zealand than in Australia. For example, the Ford Telstar was offered as a wagon in New Zealand, but not Australia, even though the mechanically identical Mazda 626 was sold in both countries. The Ford Telstar was an Automobile sold by the Ford Motor Company in Asia, Australasia and Africa, comparable in size to the The Mazda 626 was an Automobile produced by Mazda for the export market

Tailgate evolution

1963 Studebaker Wagonaire

1997 Ford Mondeo

2002 Ford Mondeo

2007 Ford Mondeo

2004 Honda Accord Tourer

2005 Citroën C5

Renault Laguna Grandtour

The vast majority of modern station wagons have an upward-swinging, full-width, full-height rear door supported on gas struts, and a few also have a rear window that can be swung upward independently to load small items without opening the whole liftgate. Historically, however, many different designs have been used for access to the rear of car; the following summary concentrates on American models.

• The earliest common style was an upward-swinging window combined with a downward swinging tailgate. Both were manually operated. This configuration generally prevailed from the earliest origins of the wagon bodystyle in the 1920s through the 1940s. It remained in use through 1960 on several models offered by Ford.
• In the early 1950s, tailgates with hand-cranked roll-down rear windows began to appear. This was another innovation first seen on Rambler wagons. Rambler was an Automobile brand name used by the Thomas B Jeffery Company between 1900 and 1914 then by its successor Nash Motors from 1950 to 1954 ^[13] Later in the decade, electric power was applied to the tailgate window - it could be operated from the driver's seat, as well as by the keyhole in the rear door. By the early 1960s, this arrangement was becoming common on both full-size and compact wagons.
• A side hinged tailgate that opened like a door was offered on three-seat wagons by American Motors to make it easier for the back row passengers to enter and exit their rear-facing seats. American Motors Corporation (AMC was an American automobile company formed on January 14 1954 by the merger of the Nash-Kelvinator Corporation This was later supplanted by the dual-hinged tailgate.
• The Studebaker Wagonaire station wagon had a unique retractable rear roof section as well as a conventional rear tailgate which folded down. Studebaker Corporation, or simply Studebaker, was a United States Wagon and Automobile manufacturer based in The Studebaker Wagonaire was a Station wagon produced by the Studebaker Corporation of South Bend Indiana from 1963 to 1966 This allowed it to carry tall objects that would not fit otherwise. Water leaks, body flex and noise prevented the innovation from being adopted by other manufacturers. Body flex is a lack of Rigidity in a Motor vehicle 's Chassis. The concept was reintroduced in 2003 on GMC's mid-size Envoy XUV SUV, but did not last long on that vehicle either. GMC, formerly known as GMC Truck, is a Brand name used on Trucks Vans and SUVs marketed in North America and the A sport utility vehicle ( SUV) is a generic marketing description for a rugged automotive vehicle similar to a Station wagon but built on a light-truck chassis
• The 1964-72 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser and 1964-69 Buick Sport Wagon featured raised rooflines beginning above the second-row seat and continuing all the way to the rear tailgate. The Vista Cruiser was a Station wagon built by the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors from 1964 to 1977 which was based on the Oldsmobile This mid-size Buick wagon was an extended-wheelbase version of the Buick Skylark model and it was built in three generations spanning 1964-67 1968-69 and 1970-72 Above the second seat were plexiglas skylights in which passengers could view the outside from overhead. On the three-seat models of these wagons, the third seat faced forward as did the first and second seats, unlike the normal practice of three-seat wagons at the time in which the rearmost seat faced the rear.
• Ford's full-size wagons for 1966 took the conventional tailgate and disappearing window a step further. Ford Motor Company is an American Multinational corporation and the world's fourth largest automaker based on Worldwide vehicle sales, following The rear section was made to open either downwards like a regular tailgate, or like a door, outward from the curb side. The window had to be retracted for either operation. This was called the "Magic Doorgate". For 1969, Ford made another innovation by allowing the glass to stay up when the door was opened sideways, thus creating the "Three-Way Magic Doorgate". This versatile style quickly caught on and became a fixture on full-size and intermediate wagons from GM, Ford, and Chrysler. GM, however, added a notch in the rear bumper that acted as a step plate; to fill the gap, a small portion of bumper was attached to the doorgate. When opened as a swinging door, this part of the bumper moved away, allowing the depression in the bumper to provide a "step" to ease entry; when the gate was opened by being lowered or raised to a closed position, the chrome section remained in place making the bumper "whole".
• Full-size GM wagons (Buick, Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac) built between model years 1971 and 1976 brought a completely new design to market. Buick (ˈbjuːɪk is a Marque of automobile sold in the United States, Canada, China, Taiwan, Qatar, and Chevrolet (ˌʃɛvroʊˈleɪ - French origin (also known as Chevy) is a Brand of Automobile, produced by General Motors (GM Oldsmobile was a brand of Automobile produced for most of its existence by General Motors. Pontiac is a Brand of Automobiles produced by General Motors that has been sold in the United States, Canada and Mexico They had a rear window that would slide upwards into the roof as the tailgate dropped down below the load floor. This was referred to as a "clamshell" arrangement. On all full-size GM wagons, the window for the clamshell door was power operated, however the gate door itself could be had in either manual on Chevrolet models or power assist in Pontiac, Oldsmobile or Buick cars. The manual style door quickly lost favor because of the effort required to lift and swing the heavy door up from its storage area; sales tapered off after the 1972 model year and electric assist all but became standard. This was the first power tailgate in station wagon history. This system was large, heavy, and complex, and was never adopted for any other car manufacturer. After that, GM reverted to the doorgate style for its full-size wagons (the February 2008 issue of Collectible Automobile magazine detailed why this setup was phased out - the 1977 GM full-size cars had to meet the DOT-revised category of 4000 GVW; the elimination of the clamshell was the first agenda on the list, and limiting the bodystyles to the station wagon, coupe, and sedan).
• As the 1970s progressed, the need for lighter weight to meet fuel economy standards led to a simplified, one-piece liftgate on several models, particularly smaller wagons, such as is commonly seen on SUVs today. On the same principle, and quite ironically, the last generation of GM's full-size wagons returned to the upward-lifting rear window as had been used in the 1940s.
• In recent years, the Citroën C5 wagon features an upward-lifting full-height full-width rear door, where the window on the rear door can be opened independently from the rear door itself. The Citroën C5 is a Large family car produced by the French manufacturer Citroën since early 2001 The window is also opened upwards and is held on gas struts. The Renault Laguna II estate chassis has a similar arrangement. The Renault Laguna is a Large family car produced by the French manufacturer Renault.
• Early models of the Range-Rover had a hinging number plate attached to the lower part of the split rear door. When the lower part was folded down the plate hung down to remain readable. This was deleted on later models but the split tailgate remains to this day

See also

• Sport utility vehicle
• Hearse
• Hatchback
• Van
• Minivan
• Crossover SUV
• 3-way tailgate

Sources

References

External links

• The Sports Wagon Association
• StationWagon.com
• American Station Wagon Owners Association
• Station Wagon forums
• International Station Wagon Club\
• World Wide Wagons Webpage