What are the doors that lift up on cars called?
Lift-up car doors are commonly called gull-wing doors, though the broader family includes butterfly (dihedral) doors and scissor doors, each with a distinct hinge and motion. These styles are most often seen on sports cars, exotics, and concept vehicles.
Different kinds of upward-opening car doors
There are several named styles used for doors that rise or rotate upward. The following overview highlights how each one works and where you might see them.
Before noting examples, it helps to understand the basic categories and how they differ in movement and design.
- Gull-wing doors – hinges along the roofline; the door lifts up and outward, forming a wing-like shape when open. Popularized by iconic classics and a few modern models.
- Butterfly/dihedral doors – hinges near the A-pillar; the door rotates outward and upward at an angle, often resembling wings in motion.
- Scissor doors – hinges near the front of the door; the entire door rotates upward in a near-vertical path, sometimes with a forward tilt.
In practice, the label you hear most depends on the motion and hinge placement: gull-wing for roof-hinged upward openings, dihedral/butterfly for A-pillar pivoting doors, and scissor for vertical, straight-up movement.
Gull-wing doors
Gull-wing doors hinge from the roof and lift outward and upward, creating a winged silhouette when open. They require substantial structural reinforcement and space above the car to clear obstacles, but they offer a dramatic, retro-futuristic look that blends form and function in certain models.
How they work
The door is mounted on hinges at the roof edge. When opened, gravity and the hinge design raise the door outward before it clears the roofline, which can complicate parking in low-clearance spaces.
Notable examples
Notable uses include:
- DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) — iconic for popular culture and gull-wing styling
- Mercedes-Benz 300SL (1950s) — one of the earliest famous examples
- Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG (2010s) — modern production model with authentic gull-wing doors
These examples illustrate how gull-wing doors have shifted from showpiece concepts to practical production applications in select models.
Butterfly/dihedral doors
Butterfly or dihedral doors hinge near the A-pillar and rise outward and upward in a diagonal arc, giving a dramatic yet functional entry once open.
How they work
The hinges sit at or near the windshield jamb, allowing the door to swing outward and upward in a dihedral angle. They typically require careful clearance at the front and roof areas and can be easier to park beside than some gull-wing setups.
Notable examples
Examples include:
- McLaren F1 — widely cited as a landmark for butterfly/dihedral doors
- Various exotic or concept cars in the 1990s–2000s — used the same principle in limited runs
The butterfly/dihedral style is admired for aesthetics and ease of ingress/egress compared with some other upward-opening designs, though it can be less practical in tight spaces.
Scissor doors
Scissor doors rotate vertically around a hinge near the door’s front edge, lifting straight up with a sharp, angular motion. They’re a staple of high-performance exotics and concept cars.
How they work
The door pivots on a hinge placed along the A-pillar or above the door frame, moving upward in a near-vertical arc. They typically require enough clearance above the door frame and strong chassis reinforcement.
Notable examples
Prominent production and high-profile uses include:
- Ferrari Enzo — a quintessential example of factory scissor doors
- Lamborghini Aventador — famous for its dramatic vertical doors
Scissor doors remain associated with aggressive styling and performance-oriented design in both production cars and high-concept projects.
Summary
Doors that lift upward come in several distinct styles. Gull-wing doors are the classic roof-hinged variant, while butterfly/dihedral and scissor doors offer different hinge placements and motion profiles. Each type brings a unique aesthetic and practical trade-off, with production examples spanning from the DeLorean to modern supercars and concept vehicles. The choice among them reflects a balance of visual impact, ingress/egress practicality, and structural considerations.
