Car doors have become a defining element of style for high-end cars. Manufacturers keep coming up with different variations to make their models stand out. However, it isn’t always about aesthetics. Some doors are designed to tackle practical scenarios like the ease of access in cramped spaces.
Among different types of car doors, some unique door styles have become a signature for automotive brands.
Types of Car Doors
Let’s take a look at some of the most popular car door styles and understand the practicality behind the design.
Swan Door
The Swan door operates in a similar fashion as the conventional door. Since the mechanism takes resemblance from a swan, the doors open more widely at an upward angle. The mechanism is favoured by high-performance cars with low ground clearance.
As the doors are designed to open a bit upward, it helps the car stay clear of the sidewalk curb. The design seems more practical as you can open doors easily while parked close to another car.
To experience swan doors, check out our listings of Aston Martin for sale in the UAE.
Suicide Door
Suicide or coach doors are rear-hinged doors that allow the passenger to enter and exit the vehicle easily. The door earned the name “suicide” due to its unsafe design. For instance, the door has a higher chance of injuring a person while exiting or entering a vehicle from a passing car. As the rear door opens from the front, it blocks the back view of traffic, thus increasing the chances of accidents.
Most cars have phased out of suicide doors, while few manufacturers like Rolls-Royce, still employ the mechanism to maintain the royalty status. Although these brands have employed safety features to make the doors safer, a personal chauffeur works best.
To enjoy the leisure of a suicide door car, check out:
Scissor Door
Scissor doors are exclusively found in sports brands like Lamborghini. The door design has become a signature for the supercar. Often known as the Lambo door, instead of opening outward, the doors open vertically. Since the doors are fixed on the front hinge, the counterclockwise rotation operates like a blade of a scissor, giving it the name scissor door.
Apart from the aesthetic appeal, scissor doors are quite practical when it comes to tight spaces. You won’t be hindered by small parking spaces but you might have trouble parking in buildings with small ceilings.
Scissor doors are common in Lamborghini models. To witness the aesthetic appeal, check out:
- Used Lamborghini Diablo for sale in the UAE
- Second-hand Lamborghini Murcielago for sale in the UAE
- Buy used Lamborghini Aventador in the UAE
Butterfly Door
Butterfly doors operate just like scissor doors as it also hinges on the front corner of the car. The door opens vertically but extends away or outward from the body. Thus resembling the fanning pattern of a butterfly.
The butterfly doors make it easier to enter and exit as compared to scissor doors. However, you still need ample vertical space as well as some horizontal space to open doors safely.
Butterfly doors are usually found on high-end sports cars. Take a look at some of the used cars with butterfly doors in the UAE:
Gull Wing Door
Gull wing doors also known as falcon-wing doors, sets itself apart as it is hinged to the car roof rather than on the sides. The name is taken from the door’s resemblance with the wings of a seagull.
The doors have almost phased out from the current generation of models as the design was not practical enough. Just to open the door, you will need significant side clearance, unlike the butterfly doors.
Additionally, gull wing doors also posed safety concerns as in case of a rollover to the roof, passengers will be stuck in the car. However, where gull wing doors failed to maintain popularity in the automotive sector, they fared a bit better in the aviation industry.
Some of the Mercedes-Benz models such as SLS, AMG and Delorean come with characteristic gull wing doors. Have a look at these used cars listings sporting gull wind doors:
Dihedral Door
Dihedral doors have an interesting mechanism. The door opens by extending away from the body but rotates 90 degrees from the front hinge. The mechanism allows the door to be high enough to avoid the road curbs and at the same time low enough to avoid ceilings of low height structures.
Hence, it balances out the negatives of the butterfly doors. Dihedral doors are currently available in Koenigsegg, a Swedish brand known for innovative high-speed sports cars.
Sliding Door
The sliding doors are usually attached to the rear sides through a tracking mechanism. The track allows doors to move or slide horizontally to create a large entrance for the passengers. Such designs are commonly found in minivans, coasters and buses.
Have a look at the listings for these used vans with sliding doors:
Passenger trains and metro buses also make use of sliding plug doors to seal themselves for passenger’s safety.
Unique door style sets the identity of a brand and adds to the aesthetics. Butterfly and scissor doors cost more to manufacture and require more expertise to install. Hence, the conventional doors remain a common choice for most manufacturers to bring down the overall cost and allow easy installation in addition to inherent safety.
Stay tuned to the UAE’s leading auto blogs for more information on car parts, market trends and automotive technology.
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