The world’s first station wagon turns 130 years old

Daimler and Benz invented the car – but the station wagon comes from France: 130 years ago Armand Peugeot created the Type 10 Break and thus invented a new type of car.

No car brand can look back on a long tradition of building station wagons like Peugeot. As early as 1894, the leader of the company Armand Peugeot presented the Type 10 Break, the first example of a station wagon in the history of cars.

The Frenchman, himself a father of five, attached great importance to large and family-friendly cars. In the following years, Peugeot developed a larger and more versatile range of station wagons.

Breakthroughs in the history of Peugeot station wagons were the 402 with its streamlined modern shape in the 1930s and the 403 with a diesel engine and up to seven seats in the 1950s.

The Peugeot 404, which came to the market in 1962, also set new standards in terms of design and versatility. Its little brother, the Peugeot 204 Break, came to the market later with front-wheel drive and the world’s smallest diesel engine.

Almost vertical hatch, lots of cargo space behind it: This is a station wagon. Initially, these vehicles were equipped with commercial vehicles for businesses and small businesses. It was only in the 1970s that the shift towards utility, but visible cars began as BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz began selling station wagons as lifestyle cars.

Today this term covers a wide range – from small cars to high-end mid-range models. Many types of vehicles are even sold as station wagons. It is characterized by an extended roof, additional D-pillars (roof bars) and – when the rear seat is folded down – a load area that extends from the trunk to the front seats.

Compared to sedans, station wagons are much lower to drive due to their design. But they offer a large amount of loading and a high level of variability.