The objective of the overall design was to make the vehicle as streamlined as possible. The exceptional width of the tubular frame along the cockpit allowed the cabin roofline to be inset considerably on both sides, dramatically reducing the frontal area. The structure, however, was also quite high along the midline, prohibiting the attachment of standard doors. The only option – already used on the W194 race car – that would allow passengers up and over an exceptionally high and deep sill was the now-iconic gull-wing doors. Rather than an aesthetic choice, they were a design necessity.