1959 Bel Air vs 2009 Malibu Crash Test Video

[Falcon20]

Todays technology vs Yesterdays classic


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CU-k0XmLUk

[xcr440]

Saw this on the news a week or two ago, WOW.

[snowsdog]

What a shame to destroy that mint 59 Belair!!!

[2000sxr700]

I am with you snowdog! I really would have thought the survival rate would have been greater in the Belaire!

[skidoolis]

looks like allot of rust floating around after impact i wonder in they just painted it to look new.still a shame nice car

[yooper]

I agree what a waste of a sweet 59 Chevy. I don't think that was rust flying around after impact I believe that it is all of the plastic stuff from the 09.

[favoritos]

It is quite the visual demonstration. I have seen a few accidents in person. There is always a lot of dust flying around. It is hard to tell if it is dust or rust in this video. In our area, the dust would always be black-gray, but other parts of the country the dirt is awful red.

[skidoolis]

I thought about that after i posted that could of been a barn find car... sitting for many years.that could explain dust but what a waste but on the other hands shows there are cars out there just have to find them http://www.carsinbarns.com/ now this will make you cry i still do every time i go there (sorry falcon20 did not mean to hijack your thread )

[catmandoo]

it was a four door

[booondocker]

While there is no doubt cars are now built with some crash protection when early on, the manufacturers payed more attention to sheet metal designs and fins....what is not-worthy of this crash is that it was NOT head on, but partly head on. This means the engines were not fully impacted just missing the biggest heaviest protector in the whole machine.

I wonder if there would be a significant difference had the impact truly been head on using the v-8 engine as a battering ram in the big old Chevy. I suspect the 2009 would not have faired as well.

I suspect they did the "nearly" head on shot to dramatizes this collapsing body frame, and if it were truly a head on, likely not much difference between the two cars. (remember that the V-8 sat in the middle of the car and there was lots of sheet metal outside the engine compartment...which was why changing the spark plugs was no big deal.

[xcr440]

True, however I don't have the stats, but my guess is most accidents don't happen directly head on, which is why they tested the hit the way they did, to demonstrate one thing: Passenger safety, and the "cage" the manufacturers have designed since then. MUCH more safe than that nice 59 Chevy......I really don't think they (Or all of us for that matter) care how badly the cars are destroyed, as long as the occupants survive, and with as few injuries as possible.

[ezra]

live or die 2 door or 4 what ever. I would still rather drive the belair as my daily driver

[chad66]

Man I honestly thought the Belair was going to shred that Malibu. Think I'll keep my classic's in my lane!

Chad@M&M

[samc]

Wow - I'm with you, I thought with all that steel on the Belair the Mailbu would have been toast. I still would rather have the Belair and can't beleive that they wasted a good Belair for this!