We were very pleased to recieve this guest entry from Johnny Somersett about the rise of interest in Estate cars.  So without further ado...

Now, a lot of us following the retro car scene may be used to the feeling that we possibly are driving a car that would be better suited to our father, grandfather or even great grandfather, and may well have had people comment on the fact that our choice of transport is more befitting of one of the, how should I put it, 'more mature' members of society. Generally, we are not ashamed of this affinity, and in more recent years, certain factions of our scene have come to appreciate this and actively seek it out in tribute to the gentle nuances and the notable love and care that people used to have for their vehicles - which is, in itself, testament to how many of our cars are here purely because of their owners dedication and sense of value they held to their cars that is often so lacking in today’s 'throw away society'.

So what is the ultimate in 'O.A.P.' chic? Beaded seat covers? Leather driving gloves? Doilies!? Well, none of these are complete without a gentle, respectful, silver-headed nod in the direction of our long suffering workhorses - the family's choice - the humble estate car.

Born out of practicality and the growing need of modern man to ferry around three children, a wife, a dog and a weekends worth of deck chairs, camping equipment, straw hats and picnic, the estate came into our world with no bravado or frills. But it's still here...and I for one am glad.

The first estates (or station wagons, depending from where you reside) followed not long after the first cars really. Around 1914, 'Depot Hacks' were starting to be produced as the forerunner of the 'enclosed estates' we know of today.

Picture from : Dick Taylor, San Diego

From their humble beginnings of being considered a cumbersome commercial vehicle, station wagons evolved quickly into an everyday sight and option to 20th century drivers. Widely considered as second-choice over a saloon or coupe variant due to the 'practicality over style' considerations, estates had a bad name with the car modification scene for a long time. This, thankfully, is no longer the case!

For a while now, but very much more so in recent years, more and more people are turning to a retro vehicles estate counterpart for inspiration and enjoyment. 50's & 60's American station wagons are going through a massive resurgence in the U.K. hot rodders scene at the moment. Not just as another base for modification but often as a viable, practical form of family transport - but with the added bonus of undeniable 'cool' factor. It certainly makes a change from the sea of clean 4x4's outside the nursery gates at the final bell!





Also estates are more and more being used for other movements of our retro scene. Lowriders, drag cars, track weapons, or just plain cool old school cruisers are all getting the treatment - with the added bonus of being able to get that old mattress down the dump on a weekend!


Picture from : vwkombi.com

Its an evolving trend all over the world, on all the four corners of the globe. The Japanese, for example, are fast becoming excellent exponents of the modified wagon, taking influences from the U.S.A. and the ever growing Mooneyes movement that has now firmly established itself as an Asian-owned but world-led establishment. Have a cruise over the excellent www.mooneyes.co.jp website or the visually stunning Street Van & Wagon Magazine for a taste of what is happening with our Pacific comrades.


Picture By : Stuart Izzard

The world would be a boring place if all we had were two-door saloons, or pillarless coupes - of which many groups of enthusiasts seem to silently 'require' in order to show appreciation of an excellent retro car. So, next time you're squeezing in that replacement crushed velour interior into the back seats of a Chevette or shoehorning your new rims and bumpers into the back of an Allegro - just think how much easier it'd be with a wagon.