Gracefully rearing or spreading like wings, the doors of expensive cars were very popular in the middle of the 20th century. When the car was already formed in its technical embodiment, an unplowed field opened up in the implementation of an unimaginable design. Since the car was a natural embodiment of the dream of the long-awaited future, the list of temptations to endow vehicles with visually sublime features was great and even inexhaustible. It was only much later that car makers realized that real convenience is not limited to fleeting whims, but lies in safety, the provision of which on the roads is significantly influenced by the way the doors are opened.
It is not surprising that thousands of fans of retro cars live in the world today. Many rare specimens are just right to be shown in museums, so that a strong half of humanity would be happy to culturally educate themselves in the field of applied history. It seems that the designers of the machines tried to outdo each other, and in this rivalry they reached such enthusiasm that their activity grew into despair and obsession.
So there were almost works of art, which today it is customary to look at with an open mouth. Each decade, cars sought not only to outdo previous achievements, but also marked a new round in their road fashion. Fashion, by the way, was given more attention for an hour than functionality. This is quite understandable. In the hands of the designers were the dreams of men who, after so many generations, gained unthinkable powers, merging together with perfect (as they thought) mechanisms.
In today’s cars, on the contrary, the emphasis is on interior comfort, endurance, mileage and speed. Of course, there are unique and elegant sports cars and expensive collectible models, but in the vast majority, functionality and ride safety are at the forefront, not visual appearance. A striking attribute of the machines of the last century at one time were doors that retract in an unusual way.
This is not to say that car doors stood out or even served as the basis for attracting buyers … as long as they were not opened. Here the most curious began. “Scissor doors” did not just open the way to the salon, but invited to an unknown world where all adventures are equally divided between man and machine. Rising high into the air, rushing with their tips to the very sky, they made the car visually larger and more impressive. So much so that it occupied the lion’s share of the view, and photographers, under the onslaught of such a performance, involuntarily placed them in the centers of the lenses.
The mounts of such cars are located in the upper part, which is why the wings rise so spectacularly. Their points slyly look in strict symmetry at each other, under a slight slope. Because of this, sometimes the impression is created of scissors, the parts of which oppose themselves, but cannot do anything, because they do it equally. And when they do make a breakthrough, they cut the ribbon at a new exhibition of exclusive cars.
Mercedes-Benz 300 SL straight from the 50s is a prime example of such a system. Light sports luxury roadsters began with this model. But not only this fact of marking the dawn of sports cars made the car legendary.
But still, the name “lambo doors” was fixed thanks to a completely different brand of car manufacturer. The vertical opening method made it possible to quickly and easily get inside the cabin: even if the passage was initially narrow, nothing blocked it, since the door flew high up, hospitably letting into the car. The design was durable, used resistant hinges made of titanium alloys. It was possible to compare ordinary passenger cars of that time with today’s racing sports cars that compete for prizes in world competitions.
“Lambo loops” go back to the same car “Lamborghini” in their name, and the specifics of the application. Due to the built-in shock absorbers, they raise the doors high above the roof of the car. The process is seamless, smooth and easy. Like clockwork, the door separates from the seemingly integral indivisible mechanism, and flies up. Gas shock absorbers are unique in that they can be used at any angle of inclination, and this property is paramount for the installation of “lambo doors”. It is curious to add to all this the fact that the best, unique hinges for such a system are made in Germany, while because of the name they are associated with the brand of Italian cars.
At the beginning of the criminal age, cars with doors that opened back were in high demand. Such a system took root among the bandits, who either found it very convenient for a number of reasons, or simply did not want to deviate from the prevailing trends. In Chicago in the 20s and 30s, the crime rate was not much inferior to the nineties in Russia. Gangsters got into car interiors and could easily weed out traitors and potential victims, pushing them out at any suitable time.
Such a device infiltrating a luxury car in some way corresponded to the philosophy of gangsters. Live in a big way, quickly fly into the cabin and, if necessary, quickly retreat. Their victims, when trying to get out, fell on the roadway at full speed (the drivers of such cars considered it their own duty to scorch in a big city). As a result, they could get seriously injured. The bandits did not like obstacles in their path, and in general were quite fastidious and proud. The mafia and other gangs tried to justify the privileges they received, even when they went far and had to hide from justice.
Like the principle of opening purely up, moving the doors back helped to quickly and easily get inside, regardless of the size and age of the passenger. Opening back has remained in the history of the automotive industry as, perhaps, one of the most traumatic ways of organizing doors in a car. To reduce the risks that arise, they even put mounts on the handles so that it would not be possible to turn them for no reason at all while driving.
Today, cars with doors rising up and back are still produced, albeit in a limited edition. Although it is not always safe, it is still very pleasing to the eye. In addition, only the wealthiest citizens can afford such cars. Get into the car at full speed without hindrance; it can be said that jumping into the salon, enjoying the luxury of the situation, sometimes comes with a lot of dangers, which, in turn, can also sometimes be a privilege.