<P> Station wagons have evolved from their early use as specialized vehicles to carry people and luggage to and from a train station, and have been marketed worldwide . </P> <P> Station wagon and wagon are the common names in American, Canadian, New Zealand, Australian and African English, while estate car and estate are common in the rest of the English - speaking world . Both names harken to the car's role as a shuttle, with storage space for baggage, between country estates and train stations . </P> <P> Having shared antecedents with the British shooting - brake (originally a wooden - bodied vehicle used to carry shooting parties with their equipment and game), station wagons have been marketed as breaks, using the French term (which is sometimes given fully as break de chasse, literally "hunting break)." Early U.S. models often had exposed wooden bodies and were therefore called woodies . </P> <P> Manufacturers may designate station wagons across various model lines with a proprietary nameplate . Examples include "Estate" (Mercedes - Benz, Chevrolets with the fake - wood option), "Avant" (Audi), "Touring" (BMW), "Tourer" and "Cross-Tourer" (Citroën), "SW" for Station Wagon or Sports Wagon (Peugeot), Estate (Renault), MCV (Renault / Dacia), "Tourer" (Rover), Kombi or Variant (Volkswagen and Saab) and "Sports Tourer", "SW - Sportswagon" (Kia) or Caravan (Opel). </P>

Where did the word station wagon come from