1959 Chevrolet Bel Air vs. 2009 Chevrolet Malibu

[JWC]

Back when I was a toddler, if you had a head-on collision, you died.

http://youtu.be/xtxd27jlZ_g

I firmly believe that modern technology makes modern cars safer.  I drive my VW Beetles like they were motorcycles....defensively.   

One thing about test dummies though, is that they don't account for the human factor--as in reflexes.  I remember one of my aunts getting into a head-on collision when I was around 11yo.   She was driving a 1967 Coronet and the 15 or 16yo with the learner's permit was driving a 1966 Mustang.  The girl crossed the center line and hit my aunt's car head-on and slightly offset.  What impressed me was that my aunt bent the steering wheel of her Coronet...taco'd like a bike wheel....and not toward the dash either.  It appeared as though she pulled the steering wheel toward her and squeezed it.  She weighed, maybe, 115lb.

[Tave]

WHAT THE FUCK!? Why did they do this to a '59 Bel Air!? WHAT THE FUCK!?!?! 

Don't worry. There's still 7 billion of them left on the road.

[280Z Turbo]

Don't worry. There's still 7 billion of them left on the road.

wat

[Tave]

wat

I mean, I exaggerated a little, but Chevy sold probably half a million Bel Airs in '59 alone. They're cool cars, but not at all unusual or hard to find.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Don't worry. There's still 7 billion of them left on the road.

Half of those are in Cuba

[280Z Turbo]

Half of those are in Cuba

The other half rusted apart and got scraped out in 1961.

[Byteme]

I mean, I exaggerated a little, but Chevy sold probably half a million Bel Airs in '59 alone. They're cool cars, but not at all unusual or hard to find.

Close!!   447,100 plus 20,000 top of the line Impalas (same body style).  I don't think the 59's were ever really valued by collectors since the 55-57 and 62-64 models overshawdow them.  I suspect their survival rate is low relative to the other years I mentioned.