Thread: Suicide Doors: Who was 1st?

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For the history buffs.

Who was the first to introduce "Suicide Doors"?

I'm often asked the rationale for this unconventional design.

I don't have a good answer so I tell 'em it's easier to pick up chicks!

Seriously, which manufacturer was the FIRST and what was their reasoning?

There was no first car manufacturer to design suicide doors. The early car body builders were called coach builders because they learned their trade from building stage coaches, ever notice that late 1800's cars looked just like motorized stage coaches. Suicide doors were normal since no one knew which way was "proper" to hinge them.

but why keep utilizing them in the 30's, 40's and 50's?

at some point someone had to say "Hey... lets make the doors open backwards!"

and then again, at some point someone had to say " Hey...that's stupid!"

any idea who was the first?

"Stupid"? OOPs I just realized that Saturn and many of the 4 door trucks these days use suicide doors!


hmmmmmmmmm?

Also was the term "suicide" becouse the door would just scoop you up, roll you around and eventually kill you?, dunno..............hmmmm

"I remember reading somewhere ,that they were referred to as suicide doors by some. Because, the earlier cars had a lot of "shift" from the wood in the body so the doors rarely closed correctly and the insufficient door "locking mechanisms " that where used "on some" at the time.

So if you where to turn them around they would catch the wind (I assume after you beef up the motor ) and would swing open because of this

not saying "they can not be made to close correctly" or that this is correct "I just remember reading it

Maybe some one can enlighten us?

If the door opens while you're driving it catches a lot of air and acts like a rudder causing the car to lurch sideways and then back the other way when the retainer snapped or hinges bent over. Drivers were often thrown from the car when this happened. This was before seatbelts were thought of. That's how they got the name "suicide doors"
AL

Urban Myth.??..... Rural myth.??...brakes weren't so hot on the older cars..It was common practice to bail outta the things when the brakes failed..The doors opened the" wrong way"..hence..."Suicide Doors"..???..........How about this one.......The daredevils that bailed out of cars headed for large imbankments.. AKA ...The Snake River Canyon in say...Idaho....I would guess only the bravest tried that with doors that opened the "wrong way".......Who was that masked man.?.....Wrong way Flannagon..??...Flanagin..??....Flana something.... ....Wonder why the back door of my house opens "in"...while the front door opens "out"...... ........Huh.??.....