An Estate of Mind – 5 Reasons to buy a Classic Wagon

There’s a romantic vision of the classic car. Acres of chrome, fine leather, elegant lines and more often than not, sporty aspirations. But that’s not the bedrock of what a car is, at least not in a general sense. Cars are tools, they provide function and they let us get from point A to point B in comfort and with relative ease. They need to be all the things opposite to that aforementioned romantic vision. Practical, spacious, useful, and with a metal roof. But, that doesn’t preclude such cars from becoming classics. Have a browse on Car & Classic and you’ll find, for example, many a classic estate car. And a classic estate car is something you should experience. It might not have the raw sex appeal of an E Type, but an E Type can’t take a washing machine to the tip.

We love a classic estate car. These are the heroes of the classic world. A sports car is an obvious classic, but an estate? That’s a car that has been kept alive through passion and love. Yet it’s still worked its whole life, transporting families, moving stuff like, um, washing machines to the tip and taking obscene amounts of luggage and children on holiday. Estate cars are the very fabric of our lives. A classic Ferrari is a dream. A classic estate car is a memory. And with that in mind, we want to offer up five reasons why the classic estate should be on your hit list.

1) Practicality

Just because a car is a classic doesn’t mean it can’t be useful. Go out and buy a little two-seater, and that’s all it will ever be. Buy a classic estate, however, and you’ll be presented with a vehicle you can use far more regularly. We’re not saying you should be plodding through the snow and salt all winter, but in summer a trip out to do the ‘big shop’ or take some boxes to the tip will be so much more enjoyable behind the wheel of something dripping with chrome and with a Bakelite steering wheel in hand. This will also make it a more justifiable investment, and it will also ensure the car is reliable as it won’t be sat idle for weeks or months at a time.

2) Fun for the whole family

As classic car enthusiasts, we have a duty, no, a responsibility to usher in a new generation of passionate classic car fans. You can’t do that when you have to leave them at home when you want to go for a drive. A classic estate, however, means you don’t have to. Bring the kids, or the grandkids. Take them on holiday, take them to or from school, take their friends out. Anything. Remember, classic estate cars are so evocative because we remember them from our youth, so why not offer them the same. Build memories and adventures with the young’uns. If you don’t, they might grow up with fond feelings towards a Nissan Qashqai. Ew.

3) Rarity

We’re pretty sure that at some point the Government (before it became the three-ring circus it is today) sent everyone an MG B or a Healey. Go to a classic car show and it’ll be awash with them. Talk about boring. Imagine pouring money, passion, time and love into a classic only to then park up at a show next to one exactly the same. How soul crushing. Buy a classic estate though, and you’ll be one of the cool kids with something rare and special and standout. And let’s be honest, there is something about classic cars that makes us want to stand out a bit, and the classic estate car is the best way to do it.

4) They can be sporty

Buying a classic estate doesn’t mean you have to exclude yourself from having fun behind the wheel. Many estates have sporty credentials, and if your chosen estate doesn’t, you can always change that. Take Shane’s Sierra at the top of this page as an example – that had a 300bhp YB Cosworth engine in it. If you’re not one for swapping engines, what about a modern classic like an Audi RS4 or S4 Avant, or a Mondeo ST200, the list goes on. And let’s not forget the fiercest, fastest, most exciting modern classic state ever, the Volvo 850 T5. A true warrior, and a BTCC legend to boot.

5) Not an SUV

Finally, you should buy and enjoy a classic estate because they need to be kept alive as a reminder that the SUV is a pointless, tall, ungainly solution that shouldn’t bloody exist. We had estate cars for decades, but the nonsense marketing and forced narrative about the benefits of SUVs has all but killed the estate. Even Volvo has said it will stop making estates. VOLVO. THE KING OF ESTATE CARS. Madness. These stupid SUVs are heavy, pointless and no more practical than a hatchback. If you want to move people and stuff in comfort and style, the estate is and always has been the answer. And a classic estate really drives that point home.