For car enthusiasts, suicide doors are an old trend getting new attention. These types of doors were fairly common during the early half of the 20th century and reached their peak during the 1930s. Now this car style is making a comeback among car lovers who appreciate the retro style and tradition they represent.

What Exactly Are Suicide Doors?

They differ from standard car doors by opening from the center. This simply means that the door hinges are on the trailing edge of the vehicle, the exact opposite side of where you would expect to find these hinges on standard car doors.

This rear-hinged design gives any vehicle a sleek and elegant look. Because they also open away from the center, it is easier to enter and exit from the vehicle. Those with physical disabilities and mobility impairments especially benefit from this design.

Some manufactures sell cars with these types of doors but may have their own name for them. For example, rear-hinged doors on Rolls Royce’s are called coach doors while Mazda calls them freestyle doors.

Safety Innovations

The term suicide doors obviously triggers negative images. In the early half of the 20th century before cars had seat belts and locking mechanism, a worry among car owners was that during travel the unlatched door could become open; leaving anyone leaning against the door no protection from being thrown from the vehicle.

Today’s rear hinged doors are much more efficient and include safety features such as front doors that overlap over the rear hinged doors to prevent accidental opening, and the doors will not open while the car is in motion. Most car doors can also be converted into suicide doors with a kit. Kits include 4 hinges, mounting plates, bolts, and latches.