# Expensive station wagons called "Shooting Brake". Why?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expensive-station-wagons-called-shooting-brake-why/198664>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 30, 2003, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expensive-station-wagons-called-shooting-brake-why/198664 "2003-08-30T17:42:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![1kBR\_Kid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/dc4da7/32.png) [@1kBR\_Kid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1kBR_Kid)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expensive-station-wagons-called-shooting-brake-why/198664/1 "2003-08-30T17:42:20Z")

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Where the heck did that name come from? I’ve only seen it applied to super-expensive wagons such as Aston Martin and Rolls-Royce. (one-offs, of course).

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**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expensive-station-wagons-called-shooting-brake-why/198664/2 "2003-08-30T17:54:58Z")

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[Here](http://www.team.net/www/rootes/sunbeam/alpine/mk1-5/archives/2000_04/0047.html)’s one guy’s take:

> [@](#):
>
> From recollection, the “shooting brake” was a term given to a certain kind of wagon drawn by horses - before the advent of cars. The “brake” represented that it was a wagon with, in fact, a brake. You can picture the type, the lever pulled against the wheels. The “shooting” part represented the use, ie going hunting. I do recall someone posting a comment that there were vehicles used in Africa where the riders faced outwards and could shoot at game while they travelled. I believe that was probably a later use of the term.  
> I believe these wagons tended to be longer than other wagons. This might have lead to its use for a sports car station wagon.

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**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expensive-station-wagons-called-shooting-brake-why/198664/3 "2003-08-30T18:00:27Z")

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[More](http://www.team.net/www/rootes/sunbeam/alpine/mk1-5/archives/2000_04/0051.html), from the same maillist:

> [@](#):
>
> The original brake, which should have been spelled ‘break’ was a four wheeled horse drawn vehicle which consisted only of a frame and drivers seat. It was apparently large and heavy and was used for `breaking’ horses to draw carriages.
> 
> A couple of seats and a simple body were added so that it could be used to take a party hunting, the brake being much more rugged than the usual passenger carriage which would not likely be used to go cross country. The name was probably transferred to the station wagon-like automobile by some advertising type.

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**Author:** ![1kBR\_Kid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/dc4da7/32.png) [@1kBR\_Kid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1kBR_Kid)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expensive-station-wagons-called-shooting-brake-why/198664/4 "2003-08-30T21:03:20Z")

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Thanks. I always wondered about that.