Suicide door

Suicide doors are automobile doors that are hinged on the edges closer to the back of the vehicle. The name refers to the perceived greater danger of such a door falling open at speed.

Such doors were commonly seen on cars manufactured in the first half of the 20th century. Post-World War II examples are almost universally the rear doors of four-door cars.

The most well-known use of suicide doors on post-World War II automobiles was the glamorous Lincoln Continental sedan from 1961 through 1969, and even more dramatically, on the unique Lincoln Continental 4-door convertible from 1961 through 1967 (the last 4-door convertible built in America.) Since the 4-door Lincoln convertible did not have a center "B" pillar, the rear door glass was designed to electrically retract a few inches when the rear doors were opened in order for the weatherstripping to clear the front door glass. (Unfortunately, if the battery was dead, the only way out of the back seat was to crawl over the front seat!)

For a time, the last true, independently opening suicide doors were fitted on the Ford Thunderbird 4-door sedan from 1967 through 1971, after which their use ceased due to safety concerns. More recently, rear suicide doors that cannot be opened until the regular front doors are opened have been appearing on a number of vehicles, including extended cab pickup trucks. Nevertheless, in 2004, true independent suicide doors reappeared, this time on the new $300,000 Rolls Royce.

Models of automobile that featured suicide doors include: