There’s a saying that goes “they don’t make ‘em like they used to”. In some aspects, we’re inclined to side with that. When it comes to sound, feel, and driver involvement, we sometimes long for the old days.
But in the aspect of safety, we’re glad the game has moved on. Not only are crumple zones soften the blow even better these days, we have new generation airbags and a slew of advanced driver assist systems. Some will argue that cars get dented too easily these days, but modern vehicles are soft where it should be and rigid where it matters: The passenger area.
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That’s not to say all old cars are unsafe. These were tested during the standards of their day and passed all the requirements needed at the time. But with old cars mixed in with modern traffic, it’s worth satisfying the curiosity of how they perform in today’s crash test standards.
It’s exactly what the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) did recently. In celebration of its 30th anniversary, the agency took a rather tidy 1993 Mitsubishi Magna (aka Diamante) and subjected it to a modern crash test. Truth be told, we’re rather sad to see a well-kept car classic meet a cruel fate, but hey, for science, right?
Without further ado, here’s the test.
So, how did the Magna fare in this crash test? As ANCAP now uses heavier crash rigs and perform tests at higher speeds, the executive sedan showed signs of structural deformity. Back in the day, the Magna would’ve aced the old test procedure which was done at 56kph. At 64kph, however, we see the car’s roof fold on impact. It didn’t help that the car tested did not have an airbag.
“No airbags. We die like real men” is a funny sticker, but we doubt anyone would like a steering wheel to the face in real life.
Mind you, there isn’t total structure collapse, so this 30 year-old large sedan (by the standards of the ‘90s) will likely offer average protection at lower speeds. But given how the Magna crumpled at a higher speed impact, we can only imagine how a smaller car of the same era holds up at 64kph.
We’re not telling you guys to stop driving old cars. Heck, the author of this story still longs for ‘80s and ‘90s metal. The video simply highlights just how safe cars are these days and how far we’ve come in 30 years.
But to our fellow car enthusiasts who like their rides of a certain age, please be a little more careful when you take your classic out for a spin.
