Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteThe most memorable car doors do more than open: they turn getting in and out into part of the spectacle. This list ranges from production gullwing and scissor-door cars to a one-off, an experimental Mercedes and a concept that never reached production. “Coolest” is subjective, so the picks are organized around their mechanism, purpose and visual impact—not presented as an objective ranking.
What makes a car door mechanism special?
Upward-opening doors are not all gullwings. A gullwing door hinges along the roof edge and rises like a wing; a scissor door pivots near the front of the cabin and lifts; butterfly doors swing outward and upward. Other designs slide, retract into the body, or lift a much larger section of the vehicle. The movement matters both for the look and for practical needs such as clearance, access and visibility.
The cars below include production models, a one-off, an experimental vehicle and a concept. Their status is identified so a dramatic design study is not mistaken for a showroom car.
Ten cars with unforgettable doors
1. Mercedes-Benz 300 SL coupe: gullwings born of the chassis
The 300 SL is the defining production gullwing: its doors hinge at the roof and rise above the cabin. Their shape was not simply a styling flourish. The coupe’s tubular frame had high sides, making ordinary side doors difficult to fit. Mercedes-Benz’s official history describes the gullwings as structurally necessary, and says 1,400 coupes were built from 1954 to 1957. When the 300 SL became a roadster in 1957, a changed frame allowed conventional front-hinged doors; Mercedes-Benz reports 1,858 roadsters. Mercedes-Benz 300 SL history.
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2. Lamborghini Countach: the scissor-door icon
The Countach’s doors pivot near the front of the cabin and lift vertically: Lamborghini calls them scissor doors, not gullwings. The LP 400 brought the design to commercial production in 1974, according to Quatro Rodas. There was a practical benefit behind the drama: with rear visibility limited, a driver could open a door and lean out to see while reversing. Lamborghini traces the idea from designer Marcello Gandini’s Countach to later V12 models including the Diablo, Murciélago, Reventón, Centenario and Aventador family. Lamborghini on the Countach’s scissor doors; Quatro Rodas on unusual car-door mechanisms.
3. DeLorean DMC-12: stainless steel and gullwing theater
The DMC-12 pairs a stainless-steel body with roof-hinged gullwing doors, a combination that made its silhouette immediately recognizable. Its doors put it in the classic gullwing tradition, but its cultural afterlife is at least as conspicuous as its engineering story. In 2022, DeLorean described the DMC-12 as an inspiration for the Alpha5 concept. That announcement’s projected 155 mph top speed and estimated 300-mile range were company projections at the time, not verified specifications for a production car. DeLorean’s Alpha5 announcement.
Rank #2
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4. Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG: a modern return to the gullwing
The SLS AMG revived the roof-hinged gullwing form in a modern sports car, making its connection to the 300 SL visible at a glance. Where the original’s high-sided tubular frame made the door arrangement a structural answer, the SLS used the motif as a deliberate link to Mercedes-Benz’s sports-car heritage. It is the list’s clearest example of a historic door design being reinterpreted for a contemporary model.
5. Autozam AZ-1: gullwings on a tiny sports car
The Autozam AZ-1 is a compact Japanese sports car whose gullwing doors give its small footprint an unexpectedly exotic entrance. That contrast is the appeal: the roof-hinged doors suggest a much larger supercar, while the car itself stays compact. It shows how an unusual mechanism can change the impression of a vehicle without needing a full-size exotic-car body.
Rank #3
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6. Tesla Model X: upward-opening rear doors on an SUV
The Model X brought dramatic powered rear doors to a family-oriented electric SUV. Their moving panels rise rather than opening like conventional side doors, making passenger entry a visual event even in a vehicle category usually shaped around practicality. The informal label “gullwing” is often applied to such doors, but it is better to describe the Model X by its rear-door design rather than assume every upward-opening mechanism is technically the same.
7. Pagani Huayra: doors as part of the supercar performance
The Huayra is a high-performance supercar with dramatic upward-opening doors. Their visual effect suits Pagani’s theatrical approach to design, where access and spectacle are part of the whole experience. The mechanism is commonly associated with butterfly-style doors; the important distinction is that it is not the roof-hinged gullwing arrangement of the 300 SL.
Rank #4
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8. Bristol Fighter: a rare British take on gullwings
The Bristol Fighter stands out because gullwing doors appeared on a low-volume British sports car from a marque better known for restrained design. Their upward sweep is a conspicuous departure from conventional side doors and gives the car an unmistakably exotic entrance. It belongs on a shortlist for visual character, though an exact production total is not established here.
9. Aston Martin Bulldog: a one-off with doors to match
The Aston Martin Bulldog was a one-off experimental design, not a series-production model. Its dramatic gullwing openings reinforce the wedge-shaped car’s futuristic character. Its scarcity is part of the appeal: unlike the production cars on this list, the Bulldog represents a single design vision rather than a door option buyers could order across a model run.
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10. Lamborghini Marzal: glass gullwings on a concept car
The 1967 Marzal pushed the gullwing idea into concept-car territory, with extensive glass surfaces and glass gullwing doors. Lamborghini says the design was considered too extreme to carry into production; the Marzal was not a production Espada variant. The production Espada that followed had conventional doors. Lamborghini reports 186 Series I cars built from 1968–69, 575 Series II cars from 1970–72 and 456 Series III cars from 1972–78. Lamborghini Marzal history.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Other door designs worth knowing
Gullwings and scissor doors get much of the attention, but unusual access mechanisms have taken many forms. Quatro Rodas’ history of eccentric car doors offers a useful cross-section:
- Butterfly doors: The 1967 Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale is described as an early use of the concept; its doors swing outward and upward.
- Sliding doors: The Kaiser Darrin’s doors slid into the front fenders rather than swinging out.
- Front-opening body: The BMW Isetta’s front section opened to provide entry.
- Canopy: The Messerschmitt KR175 lifted a canopy over its occupants.
- Dihedral doors: The Koenigsegg CC8S used doors that move outward and upward in a distinctive arc.
- Swan doors: The Aston Martin DB9’s doors rise slightly as they open.
- Vertically retracting doors: The BMW Z1’s doors lower into the body rather than swinging outward.
These examples show why “flashiest door” is a broader and more interesting category than “gullwing.” Each mechanism changes the car’s silhouette and the way its occupants enter, but not every dramatic opening is suited to the same use.
A spectacular door can still have practical limits
Door design affects where a car can be parked and how easily people can get in or out. A door that lifts upward may avoid needing a wide side swing, but it needs usable overhead space and can complicate entry in a low garage. Sliding doors need room along their track and body, while doors that retract into the body depend on packaging space inside the car. These are mechanism-level trade-offs; the precise clearance needs vary by vehicle.
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The strongest designs solve a real problem as well as making an impression. The 300 SL’s frame dictated its unusual opening, and the Countach’s doors could help its driver see while reversing. Other cars use unusual doors chiefly to make their design feel exceptional. Either way, the opening mechanism becomes part of how the car is remembered.
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