Steve Garbarino
April 21, 2008
One man’s “coach door” is another man’s “suicide.” Vintage car enthusiasts know what I’m talking about. Most import companies, dating back to the 1930s, featured at least one luxury automobile in their stable that was designed with suicide doors, meaning those that hinged on the trailing edge closer to the rear of a vehicle. In other words, the car door handles were positioned side by side, and opened like one-way saloon doors, or butterfly wings. “Suicide,” as a word and as an action, is not pretty, so most American car salesmen refer to that design as “coach doors.” The Brits leave well enough alone.
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It’s official: size matters in car design. Only instead of ever-bigger and brawnier gas-guzzlers, it’s the little guys who now rule the roadway. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the new Land Rover LRX. Long known for its size and off-road power, the iconic all-terrain brand is going mini (well, mini-er). Six inches shorter and almost eight inches lower than an LR2, the LRX was conceived as a premium car, designed to appeal to customers who want the benefits of a 4x4 and the presence of a larger vehicle, but don’t want to be held personally responsible for the disappearance of the ozone.
