Cars have evolved exponentially over the years. From body structures to wheels, almost every part has evolved with time. Many unique features have emerged and gone into oblivion after failing to attain enough attention.
An important car part that has seen major changes is the car door. With cars becoming a luxury item, the automobile industry did not hold anything back to introduce doors that were a spitting image of class and wealth.
Speaking of car doors, a type that gathered huge attention was suicide doors. Suicide doors emerged during the early 20th century. As the cars evolved, so did the designs of suicide doors.
Let’s go through a comprehensive guide about suicide doors in cars.
WHAT ARE SUICIDE DOORS IN CARS?
The conventional car doors are hinged at the front and opened from the rear. On the contrary, suicide doors are hinged at the rear and opened from the front end.
So, if you are to open a suicide door in a car, you’ll most likely find the lock at the front end of the door.
WHY ARE THEY CALLED SUICIDE DOORS?
The automobile term used by some leading brands for doors hinged from the rear is “Coach Doors”, “Flex Doors”, or “Freestyle doors”.
The reason rear-hinged doors got the name “Suicide Doors” was because of the safety concerns attached to them.
During the early centuries, seatbelts were not common in cars. The design flaws of the early vehicles with suicide doors got them this name.
The safety concerns attached with the early suicide doors were:
- Potential harm to passengers
- Potential harm to bystanders
- The doors, if not closed properly could open at high speeds making the person fall out
- In stronger airstreams, the doors could be ripped off cars, crashing into other cars
Another theory that contributed to this name was that these doors made it easy for the driver to push the passenger out of the vehicle.
ADVANTAGES OF SUICIDE DOORS
Besides the safety concerns, there were still several advantages to the unique car doors, which are listed below:
- Extra interior space
- Easy entry and exit in the car
- Easy and comfortable seating
- Easy access to rear doors
- Ease up loading and unloading
- Ease up child seat installation
DISADVANTAGES OF SUICIDE DOORS
There were a few disadvantages of having suicide doors in your cars. They are listed as follows:
- Carelessness could cause danger to passengers
- Could be awkward if front and rear doors are used for entry or exit at the same time
- They can hit the pedestrians
- Doors can open up at high speeds due to aerodynamics
- New designs can be costly
POPULARITY AMONG THE ELITE CLASS
Cars with suicide gates gained popularity among the elite class because of a number of reasons. Apart from providing extra space, rear-hinged doors allowed the passengers to easily step out of the vehicles.
The idea of these cars being a luxury was that chauffeurs could open the doors with the handle in the front part of the door. It allowed the occupants to comfortably exit the cars.
This also helped the ladies of the upper class wearing big gowns to gracefully enter and exit the cars.
The elegant look also made the car with suicide doors a popular choice.
ADVANCEMENTS IN CARS WITH SUICIDE DOORS
With the technological advancements over the years, cars with suicide doors have also gotten better from a safety perspective.
The biggest advancement was the introduction of seat belts that added an extra layer of safety for the passengers. The benefits of seat belts were good enough to ensure a safe driving experience.
Other than that, advanced locks in cars were also a good addition.
POPULAR CARS WITH SUICIDE DOORS
Besides the cars with suicide doors not getting mass popularity, there were many models launched by some automobile brands.
Here’s a list of some popular cars with suicide doors:
HONDA ELEMENT
The spacious Honda Element is a boxy, utilitarian vehicle with rear-hinged doors. Doors of the Honda Element could not be opened without opening the front doors first.
If you are looking for a used Honda Element, you can see used Honda Element for sale in the UAE and select your ideal Honda.
LINCOLN CONTINENTAL
Lincoln, the luxury automotive brand of Ford Motor Company, launched the first Lincoln Continental in 1961 with coach doors, also known as suicide doors.
In 2019, at its 80th anniversary, Lincoln brought back a modern version of the continental. The new Lincoln Continental has B-pillars between the rear and front doors. This makes the vehicle much safer as compared to the previous model.
If you want to buy a used Lincoln Continental, you can have a look at used Lincoln continental for sale in the UAE to pick the right fit for you.
FORD THUNDERBIRD
Another popular car with suicide doors was the 1968 Ford Thunderbird. It was an advanced model of the Thunderbird series. The 1968 model with four seats had the capability to accommodate 5 people.
The design was less sporty and more luxurious, with suicide doors for entry into the large, comfortable cabin.
You can check out these interesting facts about Ford to learn more about the automobile giant.
For used Ford Thunderbird, you can check out used Ford Thunderbird for sale in the UAE and select from a variety of Ford Thunderbird listed.
MAZDA RX-8
In 2003, Mazda launched its car with suicide doors. The Mazda RX-8 was an addition to the wide range of cars by the automobile giant.
Although the midsize coupe with rear-hinged doors did not offer much space for the passengers, the design and lower fuel economy were some of the good features.
If you want to buy a used Mazda, check out these used Mazda RX-8 for sale in the UAE and have your pick.
BMW I3
BMW, one of the leading automobile manufacturers, launched the BMW i3, with rear-hinged doors.
The front doors had to be opened to gain access to the rear. However, the suicide doors meant more space in the car.
If you want a BMW i3 at an affordable price, you can have a look at the used BMW i3 for sale in the UAE to select your ideal BMW.
MINI COOPER CLUBMAN
BMW launched another famous car with suicide doors, the Mini Cooper Clubman. It was a unique model with an uncommon, asymmetrical three-door layout.
The Mini Cooper Clubman had a rear-hinged club door behind the front door, only on the right side of the vehicle.
For used BMWs in the UAE, you can check out used BMWs for sale in the UAE and select from a plethora of BMWs listed.
TOYOTA FJ CRUISER
Toyota’s FJ Cruiser, launched in 2005, was an SUV with suicide doors. Toyota called the doors clam-shell doors or rear-hinged passenger doors.
Although there was no structural pillar between the front and rear doors, special high-end steel was used to ensure the driver’s and passenger’s safety.
ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM
The Rolls-Royce Phantom History dates back to 1925. The 2022 Rolls-Royce Phantom is equipped with rear-hinged doors which the company refers to as “Coach Doors”.
The suicide doors make perfect sense for the luxury vehicle. Chauffeurs can easily access the door lock on the front end to allow the passengers a comfortable entry and exit from the vehicle.
If you are a fan of luxury vehicles, check out these used Rolls-Royce Phantom for sale in the UAE.
This was everything about cars with suicide doors. Even though the unique rear-hinged doors were out-shadowed by the safety elements, it is still popular among select classes.
Leading automobile brands continue to launch cars with suicide doors while some popular models from the past can still be seen on the roads.
That said, if you are looking for a used vehicle, you can check out used cars for sale in the UAE and select from a large variety of cars listed.
Stay tuned to UAE’s top auto blog for information on automobiles and much more.
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