Why would Chrysler adopt such a strange door-glass arrangement on its 1956 hardtops? That’s an interesting story, to us anyway.
When both Buick and Oldsmobile (Olds Holiday above) added four-door hardtops to their product lines for 1955, it sent the Detroit carmakers into a tizzy. Turns out that yes, buyers did want the sleek look of a pillarless hardtop and the practicality of a four-door in a single package. Sales of the new body style soared at the two GM divisions. Naturally, the rest of the automakers rushed straight to the drawing board to develop their own four-door hardtops for 1956 so they could cash in as well.
There were a few technical challenges involved, among them getting the side glass to stow completely inside the rear door with the glass fully rolled down—a must to provide the desired wide-open, pillarless look. (Obstacles included the kickup at the rear wheelhouse.) Ford, the Chevrolet and Pontiac divisions, and American Motors all adopted their own creative approaches to the problem, with varying degrees of success (aesthetically and otherwise). But for us, perhaps the most imaginative solution came from the Chrysler Corporation.
The Chrysler engineers were given an additional handicap: They were ordered to use the same roof panels as the four-door pillared sedans. (One-piece roof stampings require large, expensive dies.) Hobbled by that restriction, Chrysler couldn’t modify the roofline or daylight opening to alter the size and shape of the rear side glass to fit inside the door.
So, reaching outside the box for a solution, the engineers divided the glass iinto two sections. The window regulator was then redesigned so the rear section would roll down in tandem with the front section, the rear inside the front, using a scissors-like motion. It may look crazy, but if it works, it’s not so crazy.
Above we see the scissors glass in the rolled-up position—the rear pane looks like a conventional vent window, more or less. For 1957, the Chrysler Corporation’s body shells were completely redesigned with proper accommodations for a four-door hardtop, and the two-piece glass arrangement was no longer necessary. The odd but clever scissor windows proved to be a one-year deal. But we’ve recorded it here for posterity: Check out the video below, courtesy of historian and author Jeff Stork. Thanks, Jeff!
1956 DeSoto Firedome Hardtop Sedan 
The Groucho doll in the back seat is a nice touch. DeSoto (De Soto) was a sponsor of “You Bet Your Life” hosted by Mr Marx.
This is excellent, I had no idea. I hope you will do another story on the other four-door hardtops to show the other solutions.
I too enjoyed seeing Groucho as a passenger! This scissor window story, good in itself, could include a note that Chrysler also altered the front door vent windows on their 4 door hardtops in ’56. (A fact which MCG may have mentioned in a prior feature? )
The reason for this 2-part glass assembly design was a need to clear the rear door latch and outside door handle, plus if a 1-piece glass was used, due to the rear wheel arch shape, the glass would not be able to retract completely. The rear section actually pivots forward, avoiding the latching mechanism. The 1955 & 56 Chryslers had recessed outside door handles that used up space inside the door. the pivoting action avoided the hidden parts of the door handle too.
This was a far better design that the 1961-67 Lincoln Continental convertible’s design of the rear window. In those cars, when the rear door was opened, switches in the door immediately operated the power window motor, lowering the glass by about 4 inches. As the glass assembly lowered, it slid rearward about 2 inches. This was necessary so the rubber seal strip on the window’s forward edge could clear the rear edge of the front window frame. Lowering the glass also helped keep it from contacting the convertible top material at the upper rear corner of the door glass, when the door was opened.
If the system was not activating, it was impossible to open the rear door without first opening the front door. The Lincoln also utilized a magnetic sensing switch to control the 4 inch drop, and these switches are prone to failure. Lincoln also used an additional set of 4 electrical relays for the 4″ raising and lowering of these windows.
I’ve owned & worked on many examples of both the ’56 Chrysler 4-door hardtop and the Lincoln convertibles, and as expected with Chrysler’s engineering prowess, those ’56 Chrysler windows still work well today, only requiring a little bit of lubrication to the window guides, while the Lincoln rear windows are notorious for failing to work.
I restore all types of motors for collector cars. The Continentals constitute about one-half my work.
I wonder if the rear pane, being slightly offset, created any wind noise?
Brian, I’ve owned a 1956 New Yorker 4-door hardtop, and worked on several more examples. I can’t remember having any wind issues from the 2-piece rear door windows.
November 7, 2023: Video added.
AWesome,thanks.
“We’ve recorded it here for prosperity.”
At least you’re honest about th ad revenue! lol
* posterity
LOL good catch. Autospell is my nemesis. I keep shutting it off and it keeps turning back on.