"Universal" and other names of this body type
The interesting fact is that the term "station wagon" is used only in Russia and in some countries of the near abroad. And in the world, this type of body has a lot of other variations.
In Britain, for example, the universals are known as "shooting brake", which can be literally translated from English as "hunting." It's a reference to the old horse-riding crew that were used during the hunt. In France, a similar situation is called "break", which is a reduction from "break de chasse".
From the hatchback station, the station wagon can be distinguished from the long rear of the roof, which is extended to the rear dimensions and has no line
Americans, Australians, and New Zealanders talk about such a car "station wagon" or just "wagon." The name came from the crew and later the cars, which served passengers at railway stations and delivered them with their luggage to the hotels. The German-speaking countries use the term "kombi" or "combi" in English.
Features of the estate
Like the hatchback, the station wagon differs from the saloon with a baggage compartment. However, the hatchback can be distinguished from a long rear-end roof, which is extended to the rear dimensions and has no line.
In Russia and Europe, the versatile door of the estate has been taken as a fifth door. In the United States, however, only side doors are taken into account
The luggage compartment is accessible through a door located in the rear of the vehicle. In Russia and Europe, it was taken as a fifth door. In the United States, on the contrary, only side doors are considered.
At the same time, the station wagon is often separated from the luggage space by a net-this safety measure is designed to protect passengers from injuries sustained in the event of an accident. In Europe, this precautionary measure is mandatory and is included in the rules of the European Commission.
The boot door can have multiple configurations. North American automobiles are most likely to make double-chat. These are opened horizontally and independently. The lower one is made of the same material as the body, and the top is made of glass and serves as a rear window.
An interesting fact: in the ' 70s, full-sized North American universals of General Motors have been equipped with a two-fold back door with an electric drive. The bottom part was "drawn" into the floor, and the top went inside the roof.
The largest distribution of cars with a body type was universally available in the 1950s
Because in addition to the carriage of passengers the station wagon is used for the transport of small goods, manufacturers often equip vehicles with a transformed back seat, which can be folded if necessary. And for greater capacity, the seat of the front passenger is also subject to the transformation.
History of universals
The largest distribution of cars with a body type was universal in the 1950s. A special surge in popularity was recorded in the United States, Europe and Asia, there was much less demand for the estate.
The spread of universals became the development of the suburbs in America. The Americans needed a family, together with a respectable automobile to drive to work.
First the universals were made of wood, but manufacturers quickly became aware of the impracticality of this material and began to use the metal. However, as a tribute to tradition, the sides of the universals glued the film "under the tree"-this style is called "woodie". Automobiles designed in the "wake" style exist and are still in place.
By the mid-70s, the station wagon has been replaced by the popular miniven-like Dodge Caravan and comfortable SUVs. At that time, several factors, which had played against the universals, had been established. The main one was the US fuel crisis, which began in 1973, prompting the authorities to think about fuel savings and limit the amount of harmful emissions and fuel consumption of cars. At the same time, the minivan and SUVs were certified as "light trucks", for which the requirements were less stringent, and therefore their production was considerably more profitable.
If we are talking about Europe and Asia, with the start of the issue of universals, the demand for them was not the highest but stable: it was a family car with relatively low fuel consumption.
In Russia, the universals also found buyers, but initially used them mainly for commercial purposes-for small cargoes. Over time, the universals have been used as ambulances-in particular, the "ambulances" of the Volga-station wagon continued until our time, especially in small towns. For these purposes, however, the standard machine was remotable, and the roof level was raised to make the car more compatible.
There are several varieties of universals. The first is a universal hardtop, which is different from the usual absence of medium frames. Universal with "deaf" rear windows is often called "van". Universes built on the SUV base are denoted by the term "suburban".