Car Talk
9 Different Types of Car Doors And How They Look Like
Cars are a common means of transportation that almost every person travels in or owns in today’s modern world. They come in various models, sporting different colors, designs, sizes, etc. Needless to say, cars have become a necessity to cover both short and long distances at a faster pace. They have allowed people to cover vast distances in a short amount of time, and with very little human or animal effort.
Apart from engines and horsepower, the appearance of a car matters as well, which is why automobile companies have come up with different types of car doors. The doors of a car can easily be the center of attention, especially if they are eccentric. There are many car door designs, and in this article, we’ve described all of them in detail.
1. Scissor Doors
The most striking car door design in regards to a car’s appearance and entrance is the scissor door. Exclusive brands like Ferrari, Lamborghini, and McLaren boast cars with these doors.
Scissor doors go by many names – wing doors, beetle-wing doors, switchblade doors, turtle doors, swing-up doors, Lambo doors, and Lamborghini doors. These are the type of vehicle doors that swing up vertically rather than opening up in an outward position like conventional car doors. The front of the door is fixed on a frontal hinge, which makes the car’s door open like the blades of a pair of scissors, hence the name “scissor doors.”
The first scissor door was invented in 1968 by a popular car brand – Alfa Romeo Carabo. These doors aren’t just aesthetically pleasing but are supremely practical, too. Scissor doors are highly valued in countries where parking spaces are limited, and if you’ve ever had to park in a tight space, you’ll know just how difficult it is to open your door in order to get out. That being said, these doors can be a hindrance if the height of a parking garage’s ceiling is low. In such a scenario, it could be difficult for passengers to hop out of the car.
2. Gull-Wing Doors
Also known as an up-door or a falcon-wing door, a gull-wing door refers to a car door that is hinged at the roof rather than the side of a car. The doors open upward, suggesting the image of a seagull’s wings. During the opening of doors, the hinges of these doors stay fixed on top of the roof, and the two doors spread like wings.
In French, these doors are known as “portes papillon” – butterfly doors, and were first designed in 1939 by Jean Bugatti – a well-acclaimed automotive designer. Fourteen years later, in 1952, Mercedes Benz launched its 300SL race car (W194) – a car that sported the gull-wing door design.
3. Butterfly Doors
Often confused with scissor doors, butterfly doors are slightly different when it comes to the way that they open. Scissor doors are opened straight up via hinge points at the bottom of the A-pillar. However, butterfly doors swing up and out by hinges fixed along the A-pillar. Owing to their practical opening mechanism, the user has more space for entering and exiting the car than allowed by scissor doors.
It is important to note that these vertical doors open wider than scissor doors, making it a super convenient car door option. However, one of the downsides of butterfly doors is that they need more parking space than scissor doors. Since they open wide, they can’t function well in cramped spaces and low ceilings. If you are more into style than practicality, butterfly doors will suit you to the tee. Models like the Mercedes Benz SLR, the BMW i8, the Ferrari Enzo, the Ferrari LaFerrari, the BMW Z1, and the McLaren F1 are good options if you want to own a car with impeccable butterfly doors.
4. Suicide Doors
Also known as coach doors, suicide doors are a slang terminology for a vehicle door hinged at its rear as opposed to the front (which is the traditional way). These types of doors were initially used on horse-drawn carriages but are rarely found on modern vehicles; that’s because they are considered less safe than a front-hinged door.
Suicide doors date back to the first half of the 20th century when horse-drawn carriages were the preferred automobile choice of masses. These doors landed the name “suicide” due to their flawed design that could injure or kill an occupant. Anyone entering or exiting the offside of the car door could get injured if hit by another vehicle on the road. At that time, seat belts weren’t invented, so it further increased the chances of occupants falling out when opening the door.
Suicide doors were exceedingly popular among gangsters in the 1930s. According to Dave Brownell – the former editor of Hemmings Motor News – the reason why suicide doors were popular among mobsters was that they provided a lot of ease when it came to pushing people into and out of a moving vehicle.
5. Sliding Doors
A sliding door is a type of car door that is suspended from a track for the door to slide horizontally. This is the kind of feature that vans, minivans, and buses sport these days, allowing a large entrance and exit space for passengers. Since these doors provide unobstructed access, it is easier to load and unload large objects.
The first car that featured sliding doors was the 1954 Kaiser Darrin. This was an improved version of a similar car built by British Insurance Officer Sidney Nobbs in 1949, which didn’t turn out to be very successful. Its sliding door consumed excessive space that could be utilized more productively otherwise.
6. Swan Doors
Swan is a car door style that can turn everyone’s head with its spectacular opening mechanism. Although it is similar to conventional car doors, it opens more widely than any other door type. The selling feature of this door type is its unparalleled style. As the name implies, this door type boasts the elegance of a swan.
Apart from the mind-blowing design, swan doors are practical as well. They save parking space regardless of the height of the ceiling. Since these car doors open horizontally, they aren’t concerned with how low the ceiling is. Plus, the doors can also be easily opened even if there is another car next to them.
If you want to get a car with swan doors, you can find the Rapide, the GTA Spano, the Aston Martin DB9, and the Jaguar C-X 75 in the market. These are some cars that are worth the second glance, and their swan doors make them worthier than the rest!
7. Canopy Doors
This is one of the rarest door types. It has no official name, so it is popularly known as the bubble canopy, cockpit canopy, articulated canopy, or simply – canopy. When opened, this car door can take the shape of a canopy, which immediately makes it the center of attraction at any car show or gathering. The door is opened in such a way that it is mounted on top of a car and remains that way until it is closed.
This is the type of car door that comes in handy when you have to park your car inches away from another one. Since the door goes over the top of the car, it is easy for passengers to hop out without having to worry about the sides. Canopy doors have subtypes as well, which means that they can be hinged at the front, back, or side as well. However, the front hinge is the variant that you will most commonly see.
Canopy doors can pose a problem if the car has to be parked in an area with a tight ceiling space. In such scenarios, it can be almost impossible to open the door without getting dent marks on it. Again, this is a type of door which is found on luxurious cars only. Whether you want it or not entirely depends on your personal preference. Keep in mind that in bad weather conditions like heavy snowfall and rain, it can be impossible to get in and out of the car without busting the interior.
8. Dihedral Doors
Dihedral doors are similar to scissor doors; the only difference is that these doors open by moving outward while rotating at 90 degrees at the door hinge.
Dihedral doors are the latest invention in the car industry, and some popular car models that feature this door type are the Agera R, the Agera RS, the Koenigsegg Agera, the Koenigsegg CC8S, CCR, and Regera.
9. Front-Hinged Car Doors
This is a type of car that comes with only one door. The entrance and exit are done via the front door. Thus, it eliminates the risk of being injured or killed as a result of exiting from a side door. In case of an accident, passengers can escape through the sunroof.
Not many automobiles sport this car door type (as the engine is usually at the front of the car). The only car model that sported this door type was the BMW Isetta 600 from 1955 to 1962.
Cars with these doors make it easier to park in packed spaces. However, you can’t park a car in front of a wall as it may cause difficulty in opening the door.
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