Automobiles are reliable, efficient, and quick machines that are now in almost every household. According to research, an average person uses their car for almost 6 to 7 hours on a weekly basis.
Aside from the horsepower and engine, the exterior is of a big significance as well. This is why manufacturers have introduced different categories of doors. Car doors can easily gain popularity, especially if they are unusual.
Although there are tons of car designs, we have explained a few in this article. For more interesting automotive information, visit CarSwitch.
Scissor Doors
This striking door design is adopted by Lamborghini, Ferrari z and McLaren. The other names for this design are turtle, wing, switchable, beetle-wing, swing-up, etc.
Basically, it swings vertically instead of an outward position. The door’s front is fixed on a hinge, which opens the door similar to scissor blades.
The first scissor door was introduced by Alfa Romeo in 1968. These are practical and aesthetic doors, which are valuable in countries where parking space is limited. It’s also easy to open scissor doors in tight parking.
Gull-wing doors
Also called as falcon-wing and up-door, this design is hinged at the roof instead of the car’s side. The door opens upward similar to a seagull’s wings. During opening, the hinges stay fixed, and the doors spread like wings.
French call this design as portes papillon and were invented by Jean Bugatti – a renowned automotive designer. 14 years later, Mercedes launched their 300SL race car with gull-wing doors.
Another Mercedes example sporting this door style is C111. More examples include Tesla Model X, DMC DeLorean, and Bricklin SV-1.
Butterfly Doors
These have a slightly different opening mechanism compared to scissor doors. It swings upwards and outwards via hinges fixed at the A-pillar. Due to the practical mechanism, there’s more space for opening and closing if compared to scissor doors.
These vertical doors open wider, which is why they’re more convenient. However, they require more space because of this. If style matters more to you, butterfly doors are a good option.
Some models displaying exceptional butterfly doors are BMW Z1, Mercedes SLR, Ferrari LaFerrari, BMW i8, McLaren F1, and Ferrari Enzo.
Sliding Doors
This door is suspended from a track to make horizontal sliding possible. Sliding doors are seen in buses, minivans, and vans. These enable sufficient exit and entrance space. Owing to unrestricted access, it’s easy to load and unload big objects.
The first car featuring sliding doors was Kaiser Darrin in 1954. Currently, it’s not easy to see an average car with sliding doors. It’s because mini MPVs, like Renault Kangoo, Peugeot 1007, and Toyota Porte usually adopt this style.
Even full-sized MPVs – Peugeot 807, Citroen C8, Kia Sedona, and Toyota Previa have sliding doors. The most famous car with these doors was Volkswagen AG with a 3-point suspension and it opened outwards.
Swan Doors
This design boasts an outstanding opening technique. Although it’s similar to standard doors, it opens wider. The selling point of this door category is aesthetic style because it displays the elegance of a swan.
It’s also practical as it saves parking space. Due to the horizontal opening, it doesn’t matter how low the ceiling is. Even if there’s a car beside it, swan doors open just the same. Aston Martin DB9, Rapide, Jaguar C-X 75, GTA Spano are some examples in the market with swan doors.
Canopy Doors
This is a rare type that resembles a canopy when opened. Also known as articulated, bubble, and cockpit canopy, it’s positioned on a car’s top and remains on until you close it.
This is useful when you have to park inches away from another vehicle. As the door stays on top, it’s easy for occupants to go out without worrying about the sides.
There are subcategories in canopy doors – they can be hinged on the back, at the front, or sideways. But the front hinge is most common.
Canopy doors can’t be parked in a space with a tight ceiling, otherwise you can expect dents. Only upscale cars have canopy doors.
Dihedral Doors
Dihedral doors are similar to scissor doors, but the difference is that the former opens by rotating at 90° and outwards on the hinge. This door type is the newest invention in the market.
Some famous models with dihedral doors are Agera RS, Agera R, Regera, Koenigsegg Agera, CCR, and Koenigsegg CC8S.
