> >1) In Pelecanos' 'The Sweet Forever' he refers
to 'a Lincoln with suicide
> >doors.' What are 'suicide doors'?
>
> Suicide doors are front seat doors with the position
of the catch and
hinge
> reversed from what has come to be the norm, i.e.
with the trailing edge of
> the door hinged, so that the door opens "backwards."
The design showed up
on
> a few cars in the '30s, but proved unpopular.
Lincoln used the design only
> for a year or two, on the Mark I or II, I think.
I've no idea of the
origin
> of the term, which I first heard from my hot rodder
brother in the 50s.
> PB
>
My neighbors had a 1960 Lincoln Continental. The rear doors
were suicide doors. When both side doors were open it created
a very large opening. I always figured it meant that if
someone came from behind and hit the rear door as you were
exiting, it would crush you rather than just tearing off the
door.
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