The ‘shooting brake’ body style is typically described as a sleek wagon with two doors and sports-car panache, its image entangled with European aristocracy, fox hunts and baying hounds. With a handful of great examples created in the past, the rare ‘shooting brake’ body style is showing signs of a renaissance as car manufacturers seek to (re)invent new kinds of vehicles for passionate drivers constantly on the hunt for the next new thing, with functionality tailored to specific lifestyle use. The SHOOTING BRAKES ARCHIVE tries to provide a complete as possible overview of the most important shooting brake models created until present day.

Proper transport for the hunt

The term "shooting brake" comes from turn-of-the-century England, where it referred to a car used to transport a hunting party and its gear. "Brake" referred to a chassis that was used to break in horses. In fact, early safari vehicles (which served much the same purpose) were also referred to as ‘shooting brakes.’ It eventually just came to refer to early wagons in general. 

Downton Abbey shooting party

In the latter half of the 20th century, automakers were looking at a way to distinguish new cars like the Volvo 1800ES and the Reliant Scimitar GTE from larger five-door wagons and boxier hatchbacks. Looking back at the old school shooting brakes they noticed that the originals all only had two doors. Thus was the modern idea of a shooting brake born as a low, sleek two-door wagon.

Where the original vehicular shooting brakes were motorized wagons that had been customized and altered specifically for the purposes of sportsmen and hunters, the vehicles became more refined and hunting declined, the term was thereby applied to custom-built luxury estate cars (usually based on coupés).

Category: general articles

Created: 31 August 2019

Read more: THE SHOOTING BRAKES ARCHIVE

Okay, let's give it a shot: the 50 most beautiful cars ever produced. Not an easy task... and certainly quite subjective (beauty is in the eye of the beholder...). Nevertheless it is an inspiring challenge to compare classic versus contemporary models, bread & butter designs (like the Ferrari F355) versus outrageously over-the-top creations (like the 2019 Bugatti La Voiture Noire), series produced cars versus one-offs, affordable cars versus stellar-priced artworks, etc. In the end, does it matter? We think not. A single (pencil) stroke of slick genius can do the job: creating a timeless piece of artwork ready to hit the history books. Check the links to their designers, coach builders and encyclopedia pages for detailed info. Enjoy, and leave your comments on our Facebook page!

Category: general articles

Created: 17 March 2019

Read more: 50 Most Beautiful Cars Ever Produced

A selection of links to Coachbuilding related websites & articles

GENERAL

www.coachbuilt.com :  Encyclopedia of American Coachbuilders & Coachbuilding

www.barchetta.cc : Ferrari & Maserati Registry

www.bugattipage.com : The Bugatti resource by Jaap Horst

www.BugattiRevue.com : The on-line Bugatti focussed magazine

www.BugattiBuilder.com : Bugatti enthousiasts site and forum

www.carrozzieri-italiani.com: Italian brands & coachbuilders

www.conceptcarz.com : Concept cars, modern and classic cars.

www.FerrariChat.com : The online Ferrari community

www.pietro-frua.de : Online Frua Registry (German)

www.sportscardigest.com : The Sports, Racing and Vintage Car Journal.

www.supercars.net : Specifications, galleries and forums about classic and modern cars.

www.swisscarregister.ch : Registry for Swiss cars and coachbuilders.

www.ultimatecarpage.com : Concept cars, modern and classic cars and racing.

VeloceToday.com : Magazine for Italian & French Classic Car Enthusiasts



CURRENTLY ACTIVE COACHBUILDERS:

Europe:

ARES Design: https://aresdesign.com 

ATS Automobili: https://www.ats-automobili.com 

Bertone: www.bertonedesign.it

Bizzarrini / 2020 revival by Pegasus Group:www.bizzarrini.com

Castagna: www.castagnamilano.it

Fioravanti: www.fioravanti.it

GFG Style (Giorgetto & Fabrizio Giugiaro): www.gfgstyle.it 

Gordon Murray Design: www.gordonmurraydesign.com

Italdesign: www.italdesign.it

Pininfarina: www.pininfarina.it

SpadaConcept: www.spadaconcept.com

Touring Superleggera: www.touringsuperleggera.eu

Vandenbrink Design: www.vandenbrinkdesign.com

Zagato: www.zagato.it


USA:

Callaway: www.callawaycars.com

Chris Bangle: www.chrisbangleassociates.com

Fisker: www.fiskerinc.com 

n2a Motors: www.n2amotors.com


Japan:

Mitsuoka: www.mitsuoka.com.sg

FACEBOOK PAGES / GROUPS

ARES Design: www.facebook.com/ARESDesignModena 

Bertone: www.facebook.com/Bertone-44729434353 

Bertone Design: www.facebook.com/bertonedesign 

Bugatti type 57 (S), type 59, type 64 et type 101: www.facebook.com/groups/150515362084163 

Carrozzeria Ghia Torino: www.facebook.com/CarrozzeriaGhiaTorino

Classic Alfa: www.facebook.com/Classic-Alfa-149861525089666 

Coachbuild News: www.facebook.com/coachbuildnews 

Coachbuild Marketplace: www.facebook.com/coachbuildmarketplace 

Franco Scaglione: Automobiles, Legacy and Inspiration www.facebook.com/groups/FrancoScaglioneDesigner 

Hispano-Suiza Society: www.facebook.com/hispanosuizasociety 

Lamborghini: www.facebook.com/Lamborghini 

Mazzanti: www.facebook.com/MazzantiAutomobili 

Moretti: www.facebook.com/groups/automoretti 

Rimac: www.facebook.com/RimacAutomobili 

Pininfarina: www.facebook.com/PininfarinaSpA 

Pininfarina: www.facebook.com/automobilipininfarinaofficial 

Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus: www.facebook.com/ScuderiaCameronGlickenhausP45Competizione 

Spada Concept: www.facebook.com/SPADACONCEPT/ 

Touring Superleggera: www.facebook.com/TouringSuperleggera 

BLOGS, PARTS & SERVICES: (sponsored links)

www.carbibles.com  : Automotive Advice & Product Reviews

www.thedrive.com  : Automotive News, Car Reviews and Car Tech

Category: general articles

Created: 24 December 2015

Offering the largest special car database and community in the world, COACHBUILD.com is the leading encyclopedia and forum dedicated to unique cars, the art of automotive design and Special Coachbuilding. We highlight the numerous designers and coachbuilding companies that created so many wonderful pieces of automotive artwork throughout the decades.

Since 2008 we have built up a unique position in the specialized automotive field. The extensive COACHBUILD.com resources have become an authoritative benchmark on the web, attracting 2,5 million unique visitors per year and up to 100.000 pageviews per day. The site found its way to a vast audience of automotive enthusiasts and professionals, including connoisseurs, owners, buyers, collectors, and many who have in any way been involved in the creation or restoration process. 

All our visitors share the same passion: historic and unique automobiles and their designers.

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Through our continuing editorial efforts we aim at offering a complete as possible Special Coachbuilding ENCYCLOPEDIA (13.500 images and counting), serving as an open platform and information source for everyone interested. The enthusiastic reader contributions in our Special Coachbuild FORUM (over 1200 coachbuilders, 12.000 topics, 75.000 posts, 150.000 images) indicate that the topic of Special Coachbuilding is very much alive.

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Contributing editors & guest writers
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Bert Bomhof
Yvon Botcazou
Johan Buchner (bugattibuilder.com)
João Pedro Gazineu
Pawel Golubinski
Michael Gregg
Warren de France
Hemmo de Groot (www.mgta.nl)
Jan ter Hedde
Wim te Riet
Wallace A. Wyss (VeloceToday.com)
Nicholas Maltby (www.carsceneinternational.com)
Rosemarijn Atalante Veenenbos (crankhandleblog.com)
Haldy Simon
Elvio Deganello (photo series)
Leila Russack (a.k.a. @Misszagato)
Vincent van der Vinne (www.vincentvandervinne.nl)
Alex Wilhelm (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

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Category: general articles

Created: 24 December 2015