Crash Test 2009 Chevy Malibu vs. 1959 Chevy Bel Air

[Rare Iron]

I read about a year ago that this whole thing was rigged to make it look like the newer cars have so much better crash technology, & that the '59 Chevy they filmed had NO drivetrain in it. I've seen way more crashed cars in my day than most people - in wrecking yards all over the SW US. The only cars that I ever saw that had the front passenger compartment crunched like the Chevy sustained in this video, were in over 80 MPH collisions. Lots of wrecking yard owners know the stories of the cars they end up with - lots of small-town yards that know everybody & everything that goes on, including auto wrecks. The whole driver's area of the Chevy was destroyed in the film - including the entire A-pillar area. You can also tell the frame did not take any of the brunt of this crash - just outer LH sheetmetal. Also remember that back in 1959, the sheetmetal guage was much thicker than today's sheetmetal. This film comparison is filled with tricks.