perfesser: emphasis on VW Beetle, a 78 Cougar has a pretty damn tough steering wheel...ask me how I know.

Shame to waist such a nice classic car but it also shows how far safety has come in 50 years .

LOOK AT ALL THAT RUST DUST!!! in all angles...its almost like a cloud too, that car was completely rotted...funny how there's no angles to show the empty engine bay too

Don't count on gripping that steering wheel too much. The arm is only so strong, and there's a lot of momentum in the body as it surges forward. I was gripping the steering wheel hard when I took my '63 VW Beetle (25 mph) head on into a '77 Buick (15 mph). Same contact pattern as these cars. I broke the wheel off as I went forward and then broke the spoke off with my nose. I agree on the belts, though! I had installed the seat belts myself in that car. Lap strap only, but it saved me from a steering column implant and a windshield necklace!!I'd sure like to know what the speeds of these two cars were. You'd think they'd list something like that!

1 on what VoodooChild said. Seat belts were the deciding factor here most likely. That and I've seen real humans brace themselves against the steering wheel to take the impact via their arms. The result? A bent steering wheel.

i call BS too, that just doesnt add up for me,i think a bel air would be able to take alot of damage.i do understand the advancements of safety but the fact remains that the bel air is a more structurally rigid and solid car. Id say more reliable than that new pos anyway :Pat any rate though,kindof a shitty way for a nice classic to go..

Weight doesn't mean a lot when compared to modern technology: high strength, new steel, better welds, better understanding of energy absorption and distribution....It's all good. It's common knowledge in the auto business that just because it's old and weighs 3 tons doesn't mean it's better than a new, similar in size vehicle. That's one reason the insurance industry often times charges more for real old cars

i call bs. look how flimsy the hood is on the 59. no way that is the original sheet metal on that car. that hood alone weighs over 50 lbs

i mean ..... chevy

i'll take the new shevy please.