Top Reasons You Rarely See Gull Wing Doors Anymore
Sure, gullwing doors can look insanely cool. From the iconic Mercedes 300 SL to the DeLorean, it's a stunning sight when done right. But why don't we see them more often? There are several reasons why they are not more ubiquitous in the automotive world. Practicality, safety, cost, and comfort all play a role here. It's an exciting story because when the 300 SL was introduced in 1957, many must have looked at Mercedes as if they had just discovered fire. And yet, half a decade later, gullwing doors haven't been as successful as hoped — aside from supercars, of course. This is why. They're tough to design well It doesn't seem like much of a technical challenge to open a door rather than open it once you get the idea, but some ongoing design challenges plague gullwing doors in particular. The first is that the weight of the door, which is usually quite heavy, must actively fight gravity as it travels open, rather than simply pivoting on a tra...