Lincoln is bringing back its iconic "suicide doors." A special limited-edition version of the big Lincoln Continental will have back doors that are hinged at the rear rather than the front.

The feature presented some engineering challenges, but backward-opening doors are something Lincoln designers have long wanted to include on a car, design director David Woodhouse said. The doors are closely associated with one of the brand's best-remembered models, the 1960s Lincoln Continental.

The 1961 Continental was a turning point in American automotive design. Many automakers were experimenting with new styles as trends shifted. After years of ever-increasing chrome trim and tailfins reaching jetliner heights, the Continental was striking in its purely horizontal simplicity.

"The 1961 Lincoln was truly a landmark car in an era of a lot of really significant styling changes," said John Kraman, a classic car market analyst with Mecum Auctions. "It really reset the bar."

Following the chrome and fins rage of the '50s, the 1960's Lincoln Continental was a memorable design statement.

The model continued in production, with small changes, for several years. Jacqueline Kennedy had a white convertible Continental for her personal use. Her husband, President John F. Kennedy, was assassinated in a black Continental limousine. That act of violence was captured in film footage that helped define the era. Pablo Picasso owned a 1963 Continental sedan in ivory white.

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