The first Aston Martin shooting brake was created for none other than company owner David Brown of ‘DB’ fame. This product started as an internal development but customers who saw it wanted to purchase it. So, Aston brought in coachbuilder Harold Radford to turn DB5s and 6s into estate cars. The entire section from the windscreen rail back was rebuilt which created sufficient space for headroom and storage.
Ferrari 330 GT
The 330 GT Shooting Brake displays exceptional design quality which exceeds the standards set by Ferrari. The two designers started their project by completely dismantling a standard 330 model. The only original body parts left are the windscreen and some door parts. Everything else was made by hand and originally had dark metallic green paint as its final color. The vehicle started with this color when Jamiroquai frontman Jay Kay owned it but later changed to light gold paint.
Aston Martin V8 Vantage
The V8 Vantage Sportsman Estate used a completely new roof section which enabled it to create additional capacity for carrying luggage. Roos required 1,800 hours to build this machine which scientists declared the fastest estate in the world when they finished it. The German customer insisted the Aston was capable of carrying a set of skis inside which makes you wonder how this car managed on snowy Alpine roads.
Volvo 1800ES (1972)
The all-glass rear hatch earned it the nickname Schnee wittchensarg (Snow White's coffin) in Germany, but that didn't stop Volvo using the outline as inspiration for the 480 and C30. There were only 8,077 units produced of the vehicle which had no table-rattling hotness found in its coupe version yet some existing examples still drive on British streets.
Reliant Scimitar (1968)
You will be fascinated to learn that Princess Anne has one too. But then, who does not own a Scimitar like her? The production span of the Scimitar ranged across the years 1968E90.
Aston Martin EG
The exclusive design of this Aston Martin EG features its bodywork which conceals its Vanquish powertrain system. The name of this design created by Francesco Boniolo comes from the initials of its first owner. The vehicle extends 600 millimeters beyond its standard dimensions while its rear hatch provides fast entry to the wooden interior storage area. The roof includes an Isolite glass panoramic panel which users can instantly darken to block light from entering the vehicle cabin.
Volvo 1800 ES
The 1800ES stands as a pioneering vehicle which established the current popularity of lifestyle wagons that consumers purchase today. The decision to transform the 1800 coup into a shooting brake design came as a risky move yet it succeeded when 8077 units sold from 1971 through 1973. The rear hatch innovation used single-piece glass design as its first implementation which returned for use on the 480ES model in 1986.
Reliant Scimitar
The Ogle GTS reached successful status because Reliant recognized its achievements shortly after its launch. The Tamworth firm created its first GTE model in 1968 with design support from Tom Karen who worked for Ogle. With its four separate seats and spacious trunk space, the GTE achieved immediate success because its Ford 3.0-liter V6 engine delivered powerful performance. The early dedicated customer Princess Anne brought additional elegance to the Reliant brand.
Ferrari Daytona
The Ferrari Daytona Shooting Brake design faced challenges because of its mixed parentage. The combination of Italian mechanicals, American ownership and British coachbuilding created one of the most impressive vehicle designs. Bob Gittleman requested the car from UK-based Panther Westwinds which successfully built it. The load bay opens through top-hinged gullwing glass panels yet the wood- and leather-lined space offers limited capacity.
Lynx Jaguar Eventer
The flying buttresses of the Jaguar XJ-S always divided opinion. British restoration firm Lynx developed the Eventer to create a more stylish vehicle through its implementation of shooting brake rear design elements. The conversion process included folding rear seats to create maximum available load space. The production process required 14 weeks to complete each Eventer which resulted in 67 units being manufactured from 1986 until 2002.
Lancia Beta HPE
The Beta HPE demonstrated Lancia's distinctiveness which remained constant throughout the period that Fiat controlled the company. The shooting brake High Performance Estate which the brand created followed the design pattern of the Reliant Scimitar. The vehicle used Beta Coupe front body components yet its design used a saloon floorpan to provide better riding comfort and extended wheelbase distance. The product achieved success through its combined elements which resulted in 71,000 sold units during its 10-year period. Lancia introduced the HPE with its 135bhp supercharged Volume engine during its last operational year.
