CanuckCarGuy, one of our many Canadian readers, was kind enough to send in a link to this unusual creation. No, Ford never offered factory Mustang wagons (shooting brakes?) but many, many folks have converted standard Mustangs to wagon form. This particular one utilizes a Gremlin rear hatch and is located in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. It’s listed for sale here on kijiji without a price listed.
The seller says they have owned the car for 30 years, although it’s not clear whether they were the converter or not. I was able to find this posting about the car here on stangnet.com that includes some more pictures and the mention of the Gremlin hatch.
This is one of the pictures from the posting on stangnet. Perhaps the wagon was created to haul show dogs? Regardless, apart from the bottom of the rear side windows not quite matching the curve of the rear fenders, the conversion appears to be well-styled. Personally I would have kept the chrome bumpers and not cut the area out of the front one, but that’s just personal preference.
The car began life as a factory four-speed car, and the interior is in gorgeous shape.
This is a 351 V8; we have no idea as to its current specification. However, it’s awfully clean under there and I’d have to say that’s promising. You can just about guarantee you’ll be the only Mustang station wagon at any event you attend, and I for one would be more than happy to be driving this car. Add some aftermarket air conditioning and replace the painted bumpers with chrome ones and I’d be ready to go. We even have a husky in the family that I could borrow — although considering the way Beau sheds, I don’t think I’d invite him in the hatch. What would you load the back of this Mustang with?
Well styled? Can’t agree with that. The side windows don’t match up to anything. The car would have looked better (and I use that term loosely) as a panel van of sorts.
The side windows look like they came from a Hornet Sportabout (or Concord/Eagle wagon).
Yes, but I was referring to the fact that the window shape doesn’t mesh with the Mustang’s lines.
Waste of a great car. Still trying to unsee those pictures….
He should have used a falcon or comet wagon for the donor car. Never the less it does look like a decent job. In some ways maybe Ford should have made this car but if they had would we still have mustangs rolling off the line today, or would the stylist have taken it in a differant direction. Besides the whole point of a mustang is to have a fun sporty car that young guys are eager to buy not a grocery getter for mom. So as cool as I think this is in my opinion Ford made the right choice.
In cali, wagons are acceptable transport for younger kids as they can put surf boards in the back. Vans, suburbans etc. Also get used
You do realize that probably half of Mustang owners were/are female, right…? And that many of them were used as family cars? They’re not all rip-snorting, V-8 performance models.
Not my cup of tea but, I have to give him a thumbs up for at least finishing it. I think it would have had higher value to more people as a fast back.
Better executed than all those drug induced body shop experiments that show up here…
I’d pull up to the entrance of the Charlton Hunt Club in this brake and catch the eye of a fetching young Countess. Grumbles heard all around from the stodgers in the cigar lounge. Tally Ho!
i liked it just fine until i went and checked out the link to converted standard Mustangs. Wow. Some of those are really well done. Now this one with its mis-matched lines from the Gremlin hatch really does look out of place.
Well don’t get me wrong the metal fabrication is well done and you would be the only one at a Cars and Coffee with a Mustang wagon but the lines on this one are not as nice as some others.
Okay, I feel stupid. What does “shooting brakes” mean?
Shooting Brake is English terminology for station wagon…
I believe it is actually shooting BREAK rather than shooting “brake” as the wagon would have been equipped with, perhaps, the makings for tea and some biscuits or teacakes so that the gentlemen (and perhaps ladies) could take a BREAK from blasting away at quail or pheasant.
As Mountainwoodie says. station wagons were called Shooting Brakes by the Lorded Gentry as they could load all of their 12 bore shot guns in the back when they went Pheasant shooting. I have no idea where the word “brake” came from to describe the wagon.
shooting brake and station wagon are both English terms (iirc). Folks argue about the precise definition of a shooting brake (as if there is one – clearly with all the arguing going on there isn’t).
My take is that if it looks like a wagon but has 2 doors I call it a shooting brake.
I always thought that shooting brake referred to a 2 door wagon, and a 4 door wagon is known as an estate.
Yes, No, Maybe?
Yes.
Maybe Ford Should have looked into this type of HB car. Would carry 4 people & stuff for the beach or a camping trip. Ford sold a lot of Pinto and Granada wagons. Pintos were lite & fun to drive, Granadas, not so much. One of these would have covered the middle market. Looks like a fun find!!
In 1965 Ford did look into it. They had Intermeccanica build two, I believe, prototype hatch type wagons with an eye to possible production. One was on the cover of Car & Driver. You can find photos all over the Internet. They were very attractive but Ford didn’t really need any more bodystyles since Mustangs were selling like “hot cakes” at the time, so they decided not to produce it. About ten years ago my brother and I owned a “homebuilt” version of the Intermeccanica design, constructed by a fellow in Illinois. He did a fantastic job, looked great and good build quality. The rear side windows were from a 72? Torino wagon but I cannot recall right now from what car he took the hatch window. It was the most attention-getting car I have ever owned.
Thanks! It’s nice to know that my memory is still in tact, a little anyway! It’s also nice to hear about it from someone else who has memories of them to!
Don’t remember any Granada wagons- at least in the US
Look up the 1981 or 1982 Granada Wagon.
You might be thinking of the first generation that didn’t have wagons.
The kind of Ford Mad Max would have hauled his family around in.😜
Car is located in PEI, not Ontario. I am the builder and my neighbor owns it. I build what the customer asks for. Happens to be for sale.
Please contact : paynterdale@yahoo.ca
Frankenstang!!!
I don’t mind it at all. Except like the one poster said, I would definitely take out the side windows and make it a panel wagon. It’s different. Fastback Mustangs are a dime a dozen at car shows. Love it or hate it, this would be unique.
Unique isn’t always good…
If I remember correctly, ford played around with the idea and even went as far as to make a prototype! I remember that it was a really awesome looking wagon! Someone PLEASE correct me if I am wrong on this! I am getting older, slower and all the effects that you have from age! LOL
You are very correct. See my response to “Mike R in De” above for details.
agreed Roko….looks a lot cleaner
Hmmm…Giant Capri ??
Titanic size blind spots now.
I think shooting brake was the term for a sporty station wagon, like Reliant Scimitar or the one off Aston Martin DB5. Estate car is the term commonly used for a garden variety wagon.
That Candian car sure looks like it’s got a New Mexico license plate on the back . . . . that could indicate a good thing.
like most wagons’n this is another
I had a 351 cubic inch W-F-1 W is for Windsor and F is for Family this is back in 1970 2V is 2 barrel carburetor this 500 CFM is was really fast!
This is the way to make a Mustang into a wagon!
This is a work of art ! I like the fact, someone try some thing different.