Shooting Brakes

[Harry H]

It maybe just me but I really think car manufacturers are missing an opportunity with this one.

There just aren't any Shooting Brakes any more. Maybe the Fezza FF or it's newer equivalent but that's about it.

Here I am an empty nester. I like a nice car. I also have a dog. 90% of my journeys it's just me and my dog with the Mrs tagging along say half the time.

4 seats would be nice for the occasional times we have guests but would be rarely used.

A quick check on AI says 41% of British households have a dog and 42% have no children. There's no reliable data that combines the two but I'm sure it's a big chunk.

So that just leaves me with SUV's or Estates. I want a bit of luxury (I've earned it). But I really don't need a Range Rover which I currently have. It's boaty to drive, feels bloody massive and the rear seats with all their gadgets and refinements and doors are used so rarely. Estate cars are boxy and when you get to the higher end luxury is sacrificed for sportiness. Thinking AMG E class/ RS6

I want a 3 door Coupe with a tail gate that can still seat 4 at a push. Low, lean, sexy, refined but with the ability to take my faithful companion. Think Conti GT, 8 Series, S Class Coupe. But with a proper boot and door for the dog.

Had a S Class Coupe for a while. Loved it but always ended up driving the run around Golf as I always had the dog with me. Even on weekends away where a long road trip was called for.

I really don't think my requirements are that unique and I'm sure theres thousands of us out there. So why does nobody make Shooting Brakes ?

Edited by Harry H on Wednesday 22 July 12:03

[brillomaster]

I think shooting brakes are going the same way as 3 door hatchbacks, and for the same reason. A 5 door is just more practical.

There are some slope backed 5 door estates around... but nothing that luxury.

I kinda see your point, but i dont think theres enough of a market for a dedicated model. Best bet is either the big estates from Mercedes, BMW, Audi or Porsche. They dont have to be sporty to be luxurious.

Or, embrace the suv then you can have anything from ferrari, lamborghini, Aston, Bentley.

[Every day a journey]

I'm sure Rolls Royce would indulge you wish

Something along the lines of this would suit Sir don't you think?

[Harry H]

Every day a journey said:

I'm sure Rolls Royce would indulge you wish

Something along the lines of this would suit Sir don't you think?

Perfect but a touch out of my price bracket and whilst I'm not too precious about my cars it would seem a shame to put a smelly, muddy dog in the back of that.

[Harry H]

brillomaster said:

I think shooting brakes are going the same way as 3 door hatchbacks, and for the same reason. A 5 door is just more practical.
.

But there's plenty of luxury Coupe's around so it's not about the practicality of 5 doors and 41% of households have a dog.

[Every day a journey]

Harry H said:

Every day a journey said:

I'm sure Rolls Royce would indulge you wish

Something along the lines of this would suit Sir don't you think?

Perfect but a touch out of my price bracket and whilst I'm not too precious about my cars it would seem a shame to put a smelly, muddy dog in the back of that.

Boot liner from Halfords. Sorted.

[jet_noise]

Every day a journey said:

Harry H said:

Every day a journey said:

I'm sure Rolls Royce would indulge you wish

Something along the lines of this would suit Sir don't you think?

Perfect but a touch out of my price bracket and whilst I'm not too precious about my cars it would seem a shame to put a smelly, muddy dog in the back of that.

Boot liner from Harrords. Sorted.

EFH (emboldened for humour)

[fflump]

Harry H said:

brillomaster said:

I think shooting brakes are going the same way as 3 door hatchbacks, and for the same reason. A 5 door is just more practical.
.

But there's plenty of luxury Coupe's around so it's not about the practicality of 5 doors and 41% of households have a dog.

A lot of that 41% will also have children, and a lot of that 41% will want 5 doors.

I agree though-I love the 3 door shooting brake style but clearly in the global market place the main demand when it comes to luxury is SUV or saloon.

Even estates have low demand in the major market places which is why Porsche discontinued the Panamera ST.

I would love an FF or GTC4Lusso, or if my numbers came up a Vanquish Zagato Shooting Brake.

[WTDMM]

Restomod a Schimitar and make sure its on Wolfraces

Job jobbed

[Every day a journey]

jet_noise said:

Every day a journey said:

Harry H said:

Every day a journey said:

I'm sure Rolls Royce would indulge you wish

Something along the lines of this would suit Sir don't you think?

Perfect but a touch out of my price bracket and whilst I'm not too precious about my cars it would seem a shame to put a smelly, muddy dog in the back of that.

Boot liner from Harrords. Sorted.

EFH (emboldened for humour)

Good grief no. Harrods is far too naff.

[bad company]

When did Estate Cars become Shooting Brakes?

Yet another Americanism taking over our language.

Yes, I’m a bit grumpy today.

[Skodillac]

bad company said:

When did Estate Cars become Shooting Brakes?

Yet another Americanism taking over our language.

Yes, I m a bit grumpy today.

Er, it's an English expression.

And I agree with the OP.

[alscar]

I guess because there simply isn’t enough demand for them and certainly not “ thousands “.
When specials are done by Aston and the like , they are only built in very limited numbers.

[Harry H]

bad company said:

When did Estate Cars become Shooting Brakes?

Yet another Americanism taking over our language.

Yes, I m a bit grumpy today.

They didn't, An estate car is a 4 door saloon with a squared off end and an extra door. A Shooting Brake is a 2 door Coupe with a squared off end and an extra door.

To my knowledge it's certainly not an Americanism and very much British.

[bad company]

Skodillac said:

bad company said:

When did Estate Cars become Shooting Brakes?

Yet another Americanism taking over our language.

Yes, I m a bit grumpy today.

Er, it's an English expression.

And I agree with the OP.

Looks like you’re right.

Shooting-brake (alternatively: shooting break) is a term describing a car body style which originated in the 1890s as a horse-drawn wagon for transporting shooting parties along with their equipment and game.[1] The vehicles themselves were manufactured in the early 1900s in the United Kingdom by vehicle manufacturers or coachbuilders.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, a "brake" (or "break") was a heavy, open carriage with a high driver's seat, used for training or "breaking" young horses. The term shooting break gave rise to the French term break de chasse, again referring to a type of wagon used for hunting.

After the original shooting brake body style became mostly obsolete, that is, the carriage for hunters and their gear, the term itself was used with a succession of other body styles.

In England, during the 1920s and 1930s, the term shooting brake became interchangable with estate car (i.e., station wagon). In British English, the term gradually fell out of use,[2] though in French the term break became synonymous with the station wagon body style.

Since the 1960s, a definition for term shooting brake has remained open to interpretation. It began being used to describe a sporty combination of station wagon and two-door coupé body stylesi.e., a more practical variant of a less practical body style. During the 1960s and early 1970s, several high-end European manufacturers began using the term shooting brake to describe a sporty, two-door, wagon-like body style. Following a hiatus from the mid 1970s until the early 2010s, the term shooting-brake entered a resurgence.

[Harry H]

WTDMM said:

Restomod a Schimitar and make sure its on Wolfraces

Job jobbed

An awesome bit of kit especially with those wheels. But, whilst I'm not a fan of the latest brand new cars with screens and driver aids the Schimitar may well be going in the other direction. If my memory serves me correctly they were also plastic and felt like it.

The other problem is by the time I'd found a donor car, commissioned the rebuild and took delivery the dog would be dead

Edited by Harry H on Wednesday 22 July 13:21

[sherman]

I pondered this exact question recently.

I ended up buying an
Audi A5 Avant S line e hybrid quattro

Theres only 2 of us. No dog yet.
In the 4 weeks I have had it the back seats have been down more often than I have had anyone sit on them.

What would be ideal for me really is nicely specced and finished Astra van but that type of vehicle is no longer/ never was available

[andy43]

bad company said:

Skodillac said:

bad company said:

When did Estate Cars become Shooting Brakes?

Yet another Americanism taking over our language.

Yes, I m a bit grumpy today.

Er, it's an English expression.

And I agree with the OP.

Looks like you re right.

Shooting-brake (alternatively: shooting break) is a term describing a car body style which originated in the 1890s as a horse-drawn wagon for transporting shooting parties along with their equipment and game.[1] The vehicles themselves were manufactured in the early 1900s in the United Kingdom by vehicle manufacturers or coachbuilders.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, a "brake" (or "break") was a heavy, open carriage with a high driver's seat, used for training or "breaking" young horses. The term shooting break gave rise to the French term break de chasse, again referring to a type of wagon used for hunting.

After the original shooting brake body style became mostly obsolete, that is, the carriage for hunters and their gear, the term itself was used with a succession of other body styles.

In England, during the 1920s and 1930s, the term shooting brake became interchangable with estate car (i.e., station wagon). In British English, the term gradually fell out of use,[2] though in French the term break became synonymous with the station wagon body style.

Since the 1960s, a definition for term shooting brake has remained open to interpretation. It began being used to describe a sporty combination of station wagon and two-door coupé body stylesi.e., a more practical variant of a less practical body style. During the 1960s and early 1970s, several high-end European manufacturers began using the term shooting brake to describe a sporty, two-door, wagon-like body style. Following a hiatus from the mid 1970s until the early 2010s, the term shooting-brake entered a resurgence.

The stylish and urbane Americans use Station Wagon.
eg the Wagon Queen Family Truckster

[Skodillac]

I know it's a 5 door, but a Genesis GV70 might suit Sir?

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202605072...

Saw one on a forecourt yesterday, it actually looked low and sleek compared to the dozens of SUVs crowding it.

[Harry H]

Come on Aston do some research and stick a bigger boot and extra door on the DB12. Capture yourself some unique market space and offer something extra to the competition.

How many DB12 owners also have a dog or play golf and would they be prepared to sacrifice just a little bit of beauty to be able to take the dog with them. Let's face it the FF was hardly ugly so it would only be a small compromise in the looks department.

I'd only have to wait a year or two for the depreciation to do it's bit and I'd be looking at the perfect car for me. Not that one could exploit a DB12 with a loose dog in the boot.