# What are "shooting brakes"? **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [July 23, 2023, 10:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-shooting-brakes/191876 "2023-07-23T22:39:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![LoudThunder](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/loudthunder/32/27769_2.png) [@LoudThunder](https://community.cartalk.com/u/LoudThunder)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2023, 11:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-shooting-brakes/191876/21 "2023-07-24T23:19:11Z")
I’ve also Googled old photos of British horse-drawn wagons and unlike most American horse-drawn wagons, they seem to have a lot of single axle (two-wheels) wagons verses the preponderance of American wagons having two-axles with four-wheels… OK, we seem to have resolved the term “Brake” and it referring to a mode of transportation in the UK in days of old… However, I have never heard of the Surrey, except in the song, “The Surrey with the Fringe on Top” [![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/e/5/e5323dc6616d378381361950456d0e23b66bc2c5.jpeg "OKLAHOMA "The Surrey With The Fringe On Top" with lyrics") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss1CXo8QMi8) But there is no song for any of these horse-drawn carriages: a Phaeton, a Gig, a Brougham, a Hackney, a Post Chaise, a Barouche, a Hansom Cab, or a Landau… I am leaving out all the obvious carriages or wagons, like Buggy, Stage Coach, and Conestoga Wagon… ---
**Author:** ![D.J](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@D.J](https://community.cartalk.com/u/D.J)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 4:30am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-shooting-brakes/191876/22 "2023-07-28T04:30:52Z")
I always wondered and still do why the British refer to a station wagon as a “shooting brake” ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 12:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-shooting-brakes/191876/23 "2023-07-28T12:34:45Z")
> [@D.J](#): > > I always wondered and still do why the British refer to a station wagon as a “shooting brake” And, in The UK, they are wondering why a _Shooting Brake_ is referred to as a _Station Wagon_ in The US. 🤔 ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 2:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-shooting-brakes/191876/24 "2023-07-28T14:00:44Z")
> [@D.J](#): > > I always wondered and still do why the British refer to a station wagon as a “shooting brake” That only refers to one with two doors, based on a coupe. Not sure how they refer to 4 door (normal) station wagons. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 2:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-shooting-brakes/191876/25 "2023-07-28T14:02:36Z")
> [@texases](#): > > That only refers to one with two doors, based on a coupe. Not sure how they refer to 4 door (normal) station wagons. +1 Additionally, trucks are “lorries” in Britain, fenders are referred to as “wings”, and bumpers are called “fenders”. Two nations… divided by language… ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 2:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-shooting-brakes/191876/26 "2023-07-28T14:09:27Z")
Ford UK refers to their station wagon as the ‘estate’ body style. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 2:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-shooting-brakes/191876/27 "2023-07-28T14:10:51Z")
> [@texases](#): > > Ford UK refers to their station wagon as an ‘estate’ body style. Thank you for jogging my memory. Yes! “Estate”! ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 3:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-shooting-brakes/191876/28 "2023-07-28T15:14:46Z")
> [@texases](#): > > Ford UK refers to their station wagon as the ‘estate’ body style. Yes, they call 4-door versions estate cars like the Bentley shown below. ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/7/f/7fc192a06d1b339c8fec3fe8d4c7e69c9ac137c6.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 3:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-shooting-brakes/191876/29 "2023-07-28T15:23:32Z")
‘Estate’ or ‘estate car’ seems a better name than ‘station wagon’. What station? What wagon? ---
**Author:** ![LoudThunder](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/loudthunder/32/27769_2.png) [@LoudThunder](https://community.cartalk.com/u/LoudThunder)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 4:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-shooting-brakes/191876/30 "2023-07-28T16:21:46Z")
> [@VDCdriver](#): > > divided by language… “Divided by a common language…” L o L , , , ---
**Author:** ![LoudThunder](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/loudthunder/32/27769_2.png) [@LoudThunder](https://community.cartalk.com/u/LoudThunder)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 4:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-shooting-brakes/191876/31 "2023-07-28T16:41:46Z")
We’ve had a lot of fun with all the words in the American language, but with entirely different words in the British English Language. Lord knows, I grew up with a Scottish mother. As has been observed, two nations separated by a common language… However, in the UK there is an entire class of comedian that spit out words that they refer to as “Double-Talk”… I remember a Johnny Carson show when he was set up while he was vacationing in London and was invited to a fake Wimbledon Tennis Committee Cocktail Party… Finding this video was about as easy as finding that 1/4" socket I dropped down the back side of the engine… [![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/e/3/e358e269a497ab3d189914b733c676bf5ebd2ebe.jpeg "Johnny Carson-Dick Clark-Ed McMahon Part 2") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmVRKXkYQy8) ---
**Author:** ![D.J](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@D.J](https://community.cartalk.com/u/D.J)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 6:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-shooting-brakes/191876/32 "2023-07-28T18:20:06Z")
Actually good point. I find station wagon and shooting brake equally nonsensical. They should have called it “square ended car” on both sides of the pond. ---
**Author:** ![lion9car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@lion9car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lion9car)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 7:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-shooting-brakes/191876/33 "2023-07-28T19:25:32Z")
> [@texases](#): > > What station? What wagon? This is the automotive equivalent of the horse-drawn wagon brought to the train station to load up people’s trunks and other luggage in the old days. I guess I don’t find the name to be particularly confusing. ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 7:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-shooting-brakes/191876/34 "2023-07-28T19:26:28Z")
Just a WAG, station wagons may have been initially purpose built for hotels picking up guests from the train station. Room for five passengers and all their luggage. I watched some of the old Roy Rogers TV show, they mentioned the stage coach coming in, the stage coach was a station wagon! ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 8:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-shooting-brakes/191876/35 "2023-07-28T20:48:39Z")
> [@LoudThunder](#): > > UK there is an entire class of comedian USA viewers benefit by UK comedians as late night tv talk show hosts. Craig Ferguson (prior), James Corden (current), both pretty good. James Corden in his pre-CBS era had one of the best lines ever made on a tv series: “But I didn’t know the Cybermen would attack!” … lol ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 9:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-shooting-brakes/191876/36 "2023-07-28T21:06:35Z")
> [@lion9car](#): > > This is the automotive equivalent of the horse-drawn wagon brought to the train station to load up people’s trunks and other luggage in the old days. I guess I don’t find the name to be particularly confusing. Obviously not confusing, just not meaningful today. ‘Estate’ at least relates to carrying bulky items to your house/estate. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 9:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-shooting-brakes/191876/37 "2023-07-28T21:10:06Z")
> [@texases](#): > > What station? What wagon? It’s origin is a horse drawn wagon used to transport people and their belongings to a station, like a train station. It followed over in 1929 to the automobile equivalent. > **[station-wagon | Etymology of station-wagon by etymonline](https://www.etymonline.com/word/station-wagon)** > > STATION-WAGON: "automobile with a rear door or doors," made to carry goods as well as passengers, by 1929, from earlier… See origin and meaning of station-wagon. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-shooting-brakes/191876.md?page=1)