What Happens When You Crash A 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air Into An '09 Malibu?

Car safety has come a long way in the last 50 years. But just how far safety has progressed can only be truly appreciated when there's a shocking crash video staring us in the face.

In September 2009, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) shot such a video in its test lab. The lambs to face the slaughter here were a 1959 Chevy Bel Air and a 2009 Malibu model and, as you'll see, it's the '59 Bel Air that came off worse. And when we say worse, we mean that no-one would have had a hope in hell surviving this impact. Watch the carnage in all its slow-mo glory below.

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