How far we've come in 50 years (auto safety)

aquaknight

aquaknight

Active Member
Can't believe I've missed this one till now...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFTpKy27aLk
1959 Chevy Bel-Air vs. 2009 Chevy Malibu -- in offset head-on crash. IIHS did this to 'celebrate' their 50 years of automotive safety. The results speak for themselves. The IIHS reports that the Malibu driver would have walked away with minor injuries (assuming burns to the face from the airbag). The driver of the Bel-Air would have been killed instantly.
 
reefraff

reefraff

Active Member
Something seems a little fishy about that. When the cars meet the inertia seems equal yet the 59 weighed in at over 4000 lbs while the malibu is listed at around 3400. Seems to me after the impact the 59 should have pushed a Bu back at least a little.
The 59 is my favorite year for the Bel Air/Impala. Would have been miffed it they had trashed a nice 2 door.
 
stdreb27

stdreb27

Active Member
Originally Posted by reefraff
http:///forum/post/3185679
Something seems a little fishy about that. When the cars meet the inertia seems equal yet the 59 weighed in at over 4000 lbs while the malibu is listed at around 3400. Seems to me after the impact the 59 should have pushed a Bu back at least a little.
The 59 is my favorite year for the Bel Air/Impala. Would have been miffed it they had trashed a nice 2 door.
Unless they don't have motors in them or something, that doesn't make much sense.
So let me get this straight, a company puts on a "test" to show how much they've improved something, then the same company judges it, and says success...
 
geridoc

geridoc

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by reefraff
http:///forum/post/3185679
Something seems a little fishy about that. When the cars meet the inertia seems equal yet the 59 weighed in at over 4000 lbs while the malibu is listed at around 3400. Seems to me after the impact the 59 should have pushed a Bu back at least a little.
The 59 is my favorite year for the Bel Air/Impala. Would have been miffed it they had trashed a nice 2 door.
I'm not sure, but it looks like some of the energy is being spent in rotational force, since it is an offset collision. The malibu does rotate a bit more than the Bel Air. There is also the issue of crumple zones, which the malibu certainly has, and probably not the Bel Air. This would drastically change the collision dynamics. Either way, I am in mourning for the Bel Air - I had one that I loved!
 
aquaknight

aquaknight

Active Member
Did some digging....
Originally Posted by reefraff
http:///forum/post/3185679
Something seems a little fishy about that. When the cars meet the inertia seems equal yet the 59 weighed in at over 4000 lbs while the malibu is listed at around 3400. Seems to me after the impact the 59 should have pushed a Bu back at least a little.
The 59 is my favorite year for the Bel Air/Impala. Would have been miffed it they had trashed a nice 2 door.
The Malibu used in the test does weigh in around 3400. However the Bel-Air used in the test was an I6 manual. The curb weight on those is a bit over 3600lbs. The 200lbs difference, the weight of a passenger, is mostly insignificant.
Originally Posted by stdreb27
http:///forum/post/3185685
Unless they don't have motors in them or something, that doesn't make much sense.
So let me get this straight, a company puts on a "test" to show how much they've improved something, then the same company judges it, and says success...
http://www.iihs.org/50th/default.html
 
reefraff

reefraff

Active Member
Originally Posted by AquaKnight
http:///forum/post/3185777
Did some digging....
The Malibu used in the test does weigh in around 3400. However the Bel-Air used in the test was an I6 manual. The curb weight on those is a bit over 3600lbs. The 200lbs difference, the weight of a passenger, is mostly insignificant.
http://www.iihs.org/50th/default.html
If the Bel Air was only 3600 pounds that would make sense. Must have been a stripper.
 
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