Now that you mention it, center opening rear doors are a charactistic of all '40s Chrysler Corporation Sedans until the '49 models were introduced. Paul In a message dated 3/23/2004 9:00:23 AM Eastern Standard Time, pinkertonk@xxxxxxxxx writes: > > > Some early Crown Imperials had suicide rear doors. My 50 crown does and > I expect the same is true through through 54. > > > RandalPark@xxxxxxx wrote: > > >That is correct. Doors that open in such a way that if they were ajar and >the car was moving, that the wind could catch and open them, are in fact >called suicide doors. I don't think anyone actually committed suicide in this >way, but it could be said that opening the door while the car was in motion >would be "like committing suicide". This was since the wind would pull the >door off the car, and possibly the passenger along with it, if they hung onto >the door handle. Lincolns and four door Thunderbirds in the '60s had a door >ajar warning light for this reason. > > > >In the '30s, some cars had the front doors opening in this way while the >rear ones were conventional. Were any '30s Chryslers or Imperials set up this >way? I'll have to take a look in my old "70 Years of Chrysler" book. > > > >Paul > > > > In a message dated 3/22/2004 8:04:27 PM Eastern Standard Time, DavisADM >writes: > > > > > > > >>Who says that suicide dorrs applies only to the front doors. So, yes, >Lincolns and T-birds had suicide doors! > >> > >> > >>In a message dated 03/22/2004 11:45:53 AM, > >>imperial1971@xxxxxxxxx writes: > >> > >> > >> > >>The Engel-designed '64-'66 Imperials were never > >>offered with suicide doors. And neither were the > >>'61-'69 Lincolns. Lincoln (and Thunderbird for a few > >>years) used a center-opening design, which is rather > >>different than the "suicide" design, in which the > >>front door opens from the FRONT. > >> > >>But, much like the misuse of "Kelsey Hayes" for the > >>Motor Wheel wire wheels, the misuse of "suicide doors" > >>has stuck. > >> > >>Elijah > >> > >> > > > >