The Many Ways in Which Cars Were Stupendously Unsafe 60 Years Ago
Unpadded metal surfaces, blunt knobs and rods, steering columns that impale—and seatbelts weren’t even on the options list. We may think highly of the 1955 Chevrolet, but like all cars of the era, it didn’t think much of its passengers; here we use it as a lens through which to view the state of automobile safety of the time. Yes, 62 years later, things have become much safer.
From the December 2017 issue
A-Pillars : The ’55’s wraparound windshield was gorgeous. It also left the front of the roof supported by only thin pillars of sheetmetal, ready to collapse under the car’s weight in a rollover. But just look at them.
Steering Column : Though the collapsible steering column was invented in the 1930s, GM didn’t begin installing them until 1967.
Steering-Wheel Hub : A bullet-nose cap at the center of Chevy’s two- and three-spoke steering wheels all but guaranteed forehead-shattering or sternum-smashing injuries.
Dash : No squishy soft surfaces here. Only paint cushioned the blow from skull-crushing metal.
1955 Chevrolet Bel Air
Hood Ornament : A glorious homage to jet-age styling with sharp edges that filleted pedestrians as they were launched skyward.
Parking-Brake Lever : An unforgiving steel tube filled with an unforgiving steel rod. In other words, the sword of Damocles.
Door Latches : If they didn’t pop open in a crash, they stayed closed, jammed by a collapsed structure.
Doors : No built-in guard beams, no soft surfaces, and with handles and window cranks seemingly designed to gouge flesh. Combine these doors with a structure that buckled, and you end up with an animal trap. That we survived at all is amazing.
Front Crumple Zone : In a crash, the frame and passenger compartment would buckle and metal would fold onto itself, but there was no managed energy absorption. If a gruesome injury didn’t get you, you’d be trapped inside when the doors couldn’t be opened.
Front Bench Seat : Held in with a couple of bolts, and without belts to hold humans in during a collision, the front seats did nothing to stop a body from bouncing around the cockpit like a pinball.
Fuel Door : Located on the driver’s-side rear fender near the tail, where a collision virtually guaranteed a fuel spill. In ’56, it was moved behind the taillight, which was worse.
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There are a lot of 1950s cars in Arizona. The dry climate means less rust. More importantly, there are a lot of fans.
Now... I am a fan of old machinery, myself. The technical creativity of the people who created the first cars and motorcycles is amazing. I love the huge, elegantly sculpted foundry in 19 century steam engines.
But... I don't forget why those old machines got replaced! However cool they were, they had serious problems.
I think a lot of that is an increase in knowledge of how everything comes together during a crash and the available technology that makes the cars safer. One thing that is rarely talked about is the person behind the wheel. (Unless the crash is a drunk driver). A lot of the safety tests try to compensate for the human element but I don't think they quite have it right (yet).
I love older cars. Many were made right here in the US (unlike many newer cars). I'm a proud owner of a 1971 Dodge Challenger RT.
Old cars are cool as toys, for putt-putting around the neighborhood. Or maybe on a drag strip, for a muscle car like yours. But as daily drivers, they're death-traps.
My Dad had a very nice 52 Kaiser Deluxe, but never got around to restoring it.
I think a lot of it is the driver. Most who have classic cars like mine and your fathers, we're older. Not prone to the stupidity we see the younger part of the population when it comes to cars.
Certainly, we calm down as we get older. I loved my Alfa Romeo, but now I drive an easy-to-get-into-and-out-of Buick Encore.
The problem is that accidents are sometimes the other person's fault...
I think that's why I love my Challenger. It's big. It's easier to get into than my F150 or my Alero.
I remember my car seat, which hooked over the front seat of the bench-style seat, like a pool ladder. It had a steering wheel, a horn, and gear shift, and a "lights" lever... All perfectly deadly in a crash. I remember my mother coming to a sudden stop, and my ice cream cone buried itself into my forehead, giving me the look of a unicorn. What fun we had!
I did love the side vent windows, and exceptional roominess, (a family of 4 could have lived in the car comfortably), the old radios, etc. Fun cars, just don't have a fender bender.... There were great for picnics, as the surfaces were straighter, and you could balance your drink easier on the dash board.
Everyone has fond memories like those...
... ... ... Everyone who survived, that is...
True!
We have taken safety far more seriously since the 60s in vehicles. I remember asking my dad to put seat belts in our station wagon-they taught us at school that cars needed to have safety belts. Could you imagine any car nowadays without them? Plus the advancements are in every part of a vehicle. I recall tires being something you would routinely blow out. That happens rarely these days, especially without some type of outside cause. Safety glass is standard, airbags-all once imagined are no standards.
You sometimes have some good articles, but your petulance shows through, even in the small font.
I remember the 50s cars as not having seat belts, but our 60s cars did... I do remember that you could add them, if you wanted them and they didn't come with your car.