You see them in old movies. Usually, a high-ranking official or a Hollywood star steps out of a massive, slab-sided sedan, and for some reason, the rear door opens "backward." It looks wrong. It looks dangerous. It looks incredibly cool. Most people call them Lincoln car suicide doors, though if you ask a Ford historian or an actual Lincoln salesperson, they’ll politely correct you. They prefer "center-opening doors." It sounds a bit more sophisticated, doesn't it? But the "suicide" moniker stuck for a reason, rooted in a mix of genuine safety fears from the 1930s and the simple fact that if a door latched at the rear flies open while you're moving, the wind resistance acts like a giant sail, ripping the door—and potentially the passenger—out into the road.
Honestly, the 1961 Lincoln Continental shouldn't have been a hit. It was a radical departure from the chrome-heavy, fin-decked monsters of the 1950s. But that car, with its rear-hinged doors, changed everything for the brand. It became the Kennedy car. It became the Entourage car. Today, it’s the holy grail for collectors who want that specific "clamshell" entry.
The Engineering Accident That Became an Icon
The most famous iteration of Lincoln car suicide doors happened because of a mistake. Seriously. When the design team, led by Elwood Engel, was mocking up the 1961 Continental, they had a major problem with the wheelbase. The car was significantly shorter than the previous generation. When engineers tried to fit traditional front-hinged doors, passengers kept hitting their feet on the rear door pillar. It was clumsy. It felt cramped. It didn't feel like a Lincoln.
Engel’s team realized that by hinging the rear doors at the back, they could move the pillar out of the way. This created a massive, unobstructed opening. You didn't "climb" into a 1961 Continental; you simply sat down into it. It was graceful. It allowed women in the 1960s to enter and exit the vehicle while wearing formal gowns without having to contort their bodies. That practical solution to a packaging problem accidentally created the most recognizable silhouette in American automotive history.
Why the "Suicide" Name Persists
There is a lot of lore about why we call them "suicide doors." Some people swear it’s because gangsters used them to push people out of moving cars. That’s probably just movie talk. The real reason is physics. Before modern door latches were perfected, if a rear-hinged door wasn't shut properly and caught a gust of air at 50 mph, the door would fly open with violent force. In a front-hinged door, the wind helps keep it shut. In a rear-hinged door, the wind acts as a lever to pry it open.
By the time the 1961 Lincoln rolled around, Ford had solved this with a sophisticated vacuum-locking system and mechanical safety latches. If the car was in gear, those doors weren't budging. Still, the nickname was too "sticky" to die. Even today, when Lincoln brought the feature back for the 80th Anniversary Coach Door Edition in 2019, the internet immediately started screaming about "suicide doors" again.
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The 1960s Peak: The Four-Door Convertible
You cannot talk about these doors without mentioning the four-door convertible. It is arguably the most complex piece of American machinery ever mass-produced. Imagine a car with no B-pillar—the vertical post between the front and back seats—where both doors meet in the middle. Now, imagine that car is a convertible. The engineering required to keep that frame from folding in half like a piece of wet cardboard was immense.
Lincoln added hundreds of pounds of structural bracing to the frame. The 1961-1967 Continental convertibles are heavy, thirsty, and complicated, but they are the only production cars of that era that give you that completely open "parade" look. When both doors are open, the car looks like a piece of mid-century modern furniture. It’s architectural.
Key Models Featuring the Design:
- 1961–1969 Lincoln Continental: The gold standard. These are the cars that defined the look.
- 2019–2020 Lincoln Continental Coach Door Edition: A limited run of 80 units (and then a few more for 2020) that brought the hinges back for the modern era.
- The 1930s K-Series: Before the "slab-side" era, Lincoln used these doors on their ultra-luxury limousines, though they were common on many luxury brands like Packard and Rolls-Royce at the time.
Driving a Piece of History
If you’ve ever actually driven a vintage Lincoln with these doors, you know it’s a different experience. The doors are incredibly heavy. Closing them feels like shutting a bank vault. There is a specific "thud" that modern cars, even high-end ones, struggle to replicate.
Maintenance is another story. If the car’s frame sags even a fraction of an inch—which happens over 60 years—those center-opening doors won't line up. You’ll get wind noise, or worse, they’ll jam. Specialists like Lincoln Land in Florida or various shops in California have made entire businesses out of just aligning these doors and fixing the complex hydraulic top mechanisms that accompany them. It’s a labor of love, and a very expensive one.
The Return of the Coach Door
In 2019, Lincoln decided to lean into the nostalgia. They took the standard Continental sedan, sent it to Cabot Coach Builders in Massachusetts, and had them literally cut the car in half. They stretched the wheelbase by six inches and re-engineered the rear doors to swing backward. It was a bold move. It cost over $115,000.
People bought them instantly. Why? Because in a world where every luxury SUV looks the same, the Lincoln car suicide doors offered something that couldn't be quantified by 0-60 times or fuel economy. They offered "the grand entrance." When you pull up to a valet in a car where the doors open like that, everyone stops. It signifies that the person in the back seat is the one who matters.
Technical Reality Check
Let's be real about the safety for a second. Modern "coach doors" (as Lincoln insists on calling them) are safer than the front doors on your average sedan. They are electronically controlled. They have multiple redundant locking pins. You could try to open them at 80 mph and the computer would just laugh at you. The "suicide" risk is officially a thing of the past, preserved only in the name.
However, they do present a challenge in tight parking spots. If you and your driver both try to get out at the same time, you can actually trap yourselves between the two doors. It’s called "herding," and it’s the one major functional downside to the design. You have to coordinate your exit. It’s a small price to pay for the aesthetics, but it’s something every owner learns the hard way at least once.
Identifying a "Real" Continental
If you’re looking to buy a vintage Lincoln with these doors, don't get fooled by 1970s models. By 1970, Lincoln went back to conventional front-hinged doors to save money and simplify production. The true suicide door era for the Continental ended in 1969.
Check the door handles. On a 1961-1969 model, the handles are right next to each other in the center of the car. If the handles are on opposite ends of the doors, it’s a standard car. Also, look at the door glass. The 1961-1963 models have flat glass, while the 1964 and later models have curved glass, which makes the interior feel much roomier.
Actionable Next Steps for Enthusiasts
If you’re captivated by the allure of Lincoln car suicide doors, don't just jump onto Craigslist. These are complex machines that require a specific approach.
- Join the LCOC: The Lincoln and Continental Owners Club is the best resource on the planet. They have tech tips that you won't find on Reddit or YouTube, specifically regarding the door alignment and the vacuum-operated locks.
- Inspect the "B-Pillar" Latches: On the 1960s models, the rear door latches onto a small "striker" on the body. If you see signs of metal fatigue or cracking around that striker, walk away. It means the frame is flexing too much.
- Verify the Year: If you want the most "pure" design, look for a 1961. If you want the most "usable" car, the 1966-1967 models have better engines (the 462 V8) and slightly more interior space.
- Rent Before You Buy: Use a service like Hagerty DriveShare to spend a day with one. You’ll quickly realize if you can handle the 19-foot length and the constant attention at gas stations.
The legacy of the Lincoln suicide door isn't just about a hinge. It’s about a period of American history where we decided that how you got out of a car was just as important as where you were going. It’s a bit of theater on four wheels. Whether you call them coach doors or suicide doors, they remain the ultimate statement of automotive "cool."
Expert Insight: When inspecting a 1960s Continental, always check the floorboards. Because these cars didn't have a traditional B-pillar to divert water, the weatherstripping around the center-opening doors is notorious for leaking. If the carpets feel damp, the floor pans are likely rusting from the inside out.
Ownership Tip: For the 2019 Coach Door Edition owners, keep a microfiber cloth in the door pocket. The nature of the rear-hinged door means people tend to grab the edge of the door frame to pull themselves out, leaving visible fingerprints on the chrome trim every single time.
Mechanical Note: The 1961-1969 models use a "neutral safety switch" that is supposed to prevent the doors from being opened while the car is in gear. Before your first drive, test this at a standstill. Put your foot on the brake, shift to Drive, and try the handle. If it opens, your safety override is broken and needs immediate attention.
The Future: While Lincoln has discontinued the Continental sedan again, the "coach door" concept is currently being explored in their electric vehicle concepts. The lack of a traditional internal combustion engine allows for even more interior space, making the rear-hinged door even more practical for the next generation of luxury travel.