Classic estate cars.

[gforceg]

Estate cars. Practical worthy and sensible.

Very few rise to the level of exciting and fun, they don't really have to be. A few are devastatingly fast and effective but how many estate cars are, or might become, classics?

Arguably, a handful of Audis make the cut. Any AMGs? BMWs? Maybe the E30 Tourings. Any American iron or Japanese techno wagons?

These don't have to be performance versions, just cars that take estate-ism to its pinnacle.

I can't think of many, so please give your nominations for current or future classic estates.

[gforceg]

billywhizzzzzz said:

Estate? The nicest derivative of any car...

Every BMW estate better looking than the saloon
Ditto Mercedes
Ditto Audi

You might have said - 'Saloon - What's the point? Very few rise to the level of exciting or classic, when the estate is always better looking and more practical.'

A few highlights:

W123 Estate
W124 Estate
M5 E34 Touring
M5 E61 Touring
E91 335i (manual)
RS2
RS4
RS6
E30 325i Touring
DS Safari
504 Estate
Ami 8
Renault 16
Volvo 144
Moggy Traveller
Defender 110 CSW

etc...

Good post, thank you. At least I mentioned Audis and E30 Touring!

I appreciate the non-performance aspect too. I used to have a Pug 305 estate, which was the zenith of does-what-it-needs-to-do farm car estatey-ness.

[gforceg]

Puddenchucker said:

Alfa 156 GTA ?

A couple of votes for this one so far. I didn't know they did a GTA Sportwagon!

[gforceg]

morgrp said:

Volvo pictures...

Edited by morgrp on Tuesday 7th January 21:50

I've liked the P1800 ES since I first saw it in the early 70s. Just sooo cool.

[gforceg]

A mate of mine swears by the older Legacy estates - he had a couple of the older 1600 GL types before that.

[gforceg]

Konan said:

Aren't crossovers all the rage?

That's the colour of my old 305 GR. Loved it.

[gforceg]

cjb1 said:

Please define 'classic'. There seems to be an inordinate amount of modern cars on this thread, Stagea, Galant, Audi RS2, Alfa 156? Are they really classics? Lynx Eventer, Allegro, W123 Merc’s, various Woodies yes.

Hi, I said "...how many estate cars are, or might become, classics?" so I'm pretty relaxed about people's interpretation.

Cheers

[gforceg]

Thanks to all contributors. You've certainly brought up a few I'd forgotten about, or didn't know about and some I hadn't considered.

Cheers!