[skr]

Why were they called suicide doors? I haven’t found a reason yet.

[gigster]

The 1961 Lincoln Continental was designed by Ford-then Chrysler designer Elwood Engel, who suceeded famed mid-’50’s designer Virgil Exner, then went on to design my 1964 Plymouth Fury.

[caltaxed]

If the door cracks open, the wind catches the front facing door and flys open. If the driver is hanging onto the handle he gets pulled out of the car.

They must have some type of interlock feature on the door now to fix this problem.

[snoringbear]

“Why were they called suicide doors? I haven’t found a reason yet.”

On early versions the door could be opened while the car was moving. Hence the door was not only ar risk of being torn off its hinges, the person who inadvertently opened the door could be pulled out of the car. However, modern cars are designed so that the doors lock when the car is shifted into drive. So, the risk no longer exists.

[nodumbblonde]

I don’t know if it’s true but I was always told they were called “suicide doors” because they made it easier to commit suicide by throwing yourself from a moving car. Opening the normal big, heavy doors at speed into the wind could prove somewhat difficult but with suicide doors, the airflow would actually grab the door and hold it open for you.