Suicide doors for the Lincoln Continental? Rumours circulating at this past weekend’s National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) show in Las Vegas indicate that the automaker is considering bringing back the rear-latch back doors for its large sedan.
According to magazine Automotive News magazine, Lincoln representatives showed attendees at the show a photo of the Continental sporting suicide doors in a presentation of the company’s plans for the model.
It appears that Lincoln did not intend for the photo to go public so soon. In fact, the dealers who shared the information did so on condition of anonymity. A spokesperson for the automaker unsurprisingly had no comment regarding the automaker’s plans for the Continental.
The rear-opening back doors were first added to the Lincoln Continental back in 1961 for its fourth generation. In the next few years and until they were removed in 1969, they became a signature design feature for the model, and on today’s classic car market these are most highly valued Continentals among collectors.
The reintroduction of suicide doors would certainly create badly needed interest in the Continental. Since its return to the market the model has attracted lots of positive press but not so much in terms of sales. Perhaps a nod to its past is what the Continental needs.