<VV> Unsafe - 1957 Ford had a "27 % more rigid frame"

[Charles Lee at Prop Per]

The 1957 Ford had a "27 % more rigid frame" which probably made it the SUV 
of its day ?

The 1960 Buick "X" frame pretty much ensured that the passengers would get 
creamed in a side impact.

What were they thinking ?

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Padgett" <pp2 at 6007.us>
To: <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
Sent: Sunday, April 16, 2006 3:44 PM
Subject: Re: <VV> Unsafe


>
>>  but I'm glad that someone got the ball rolling on simple design
>> >changes that have reduced highway fatalities dramatically over the last
>> 40 years.
>
> Actually the ball was rolling long before "Unsafe" was published (my copy 
> is 1965) and all the changes he called for were already there or in 
> production design before the book was published (he mentions that the '64 
> design was fixed and called for a recall of 60-63 Corvairs to update.
>
> In fact the 1956 Fords had many safety features (deep dish steering wheel, 
> padded dash, seat belts) but the public was not willing to pay for those 
> things.
>
> But back at the book - his rants about the Corvair were old hat when it 
> came out and had been fixed (there is even an illustration of the 65 
> suspension) and he is very selective about quotes - he says "Corvair" but 
> the expert says "The ordinary swing axle..." which at the time (1959) 
> meant Volkswagen whose success was the reason for the Corvair. No mention 
> is made of the rope-drive Pontiac which had some interesting 
> characteristics also (a period MI has a shot showing both rear wheels off 
> the ground).
>
> So the only reason that Nader and Corvair are synonymous is because that 
> was in the first 32 pages which was probably as far as the media ever got. 
> Who knows, if chapters 1 and 2 had been reversed, maybe Buick would have 
> taken the hit.
>
> In the end though the book did have an effect - Corvairs continued to be 
> made until 1969.
>
> Padgett
> _______________________________________________
> This message was sent by the VirtualVairs mailing list, all copyrights are 
> the property
> of the writer, please attribute properly. For help, 
> mailto:vv-help at corvair.org
> This list sponsored by the Corvair Society of America, 
> http://www.corvair.org/
> Post messages to: VirtualVairs at corvair.org
> Change your options: 
> http://www.vv.corvair.org/mailman/options/virtualvairs 
> _______________________________________________
>