Lincoln Teases Return of Center-Opening Rear Doors

Ford Motor Co.’s Lincoln unit released a teaser image of the rear-hinged rear doors from a 1960s-era Continental sedan, furthering speculation that the company plans to revive the controversial feature.

On a social media post, Lincoln said the design helped elevate the Continental to the “pinnacle of mid-century style.” The brand urged enthusiasts to “stay tuned” for more details.

Reports from earlier this year said Lincoln showed dealers a new Continental with center-opening doors in March.

Derided as “suicide doors” due to past safety concerns, rear-hinged rear doors date back to horse-drawn carriages and were used on cars through the 1960s. Lincoln discontinued the feature on the Continental in 1969.

Such doors have been featured on several concept cars in recent years. But the only production model currently equipped with them is the high-end Rolls-Royce Phantom sedan. The last mainstream car to use suicide doors was the Mazda RX-8, which was discontinued in 2012.

Unlike the 1960s Continentals, the Phantom and other recent models retain the car’s center B-pillar to bolster crash protection. In addition, the rear doors of modern vehicles can’t be opened until one of the front doors is opened, thereby preventing the rear doors from opening inadvertently during an accident.