[DeTomaso] 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air Vs. 2009 Chevrolet Malibu IIHS Offset Crash Test

[Larry Finch]

That year chevy was an X-frame.

No frame on the sides by the cabin.  The 59 LF tire was slammed into  
the passenger compartment. the driver would have instantly died.   
Wouldn't have been any different if it was a tree, or another 59.

As much as we love old cars, and know their sheet metal was heavy  
gauge and the only plastic in the cars was the radio knobs, they had  
ZERO safety engineering put into them.

One can complain about Nader and government mandated safety  
improvements all you want, look for missing engines (the 6-cyl was in  
place) and say it would have been different in a direct head-on (not a  
side-to-side).

But bottom line, cars are safer now than 50 years ago.  A LOT safer.

Larry