Old cars are cool. They look neat, and they have that little bit of character that only time and nostalgia can grant something. But they do have a problem: old cars aren’t very safe. In the name of illustrating that point, DEKRA, a road safety and testing firm, crashed a 40+ year-old Volkswagen Golf. Predictably, the results are pretty nasty.
DEKRA
Dekra conducted a crash test with a VW Golf II (built between 1983 and 1992), comparing the results with a modern eighth-generation Golf. The test is based on the offset frontal crash test used by Euro NCAP until 2020. The subject vehicle collides with a barrier at a speed of 64 km/h (~40 mph) with 40 percent overlap. Effectively, it’s simulating a nearly head-on collision with a stationary object. It also effectively simulates a crash between two vehicles at speeds of between 31 and 34 miles per hour.
“In the Golf II, occupants would have had little chance of surviving this head-on collision due to the collapse of the passenger compartment, the deep penetration of vehicle components into the passenger compartment, the deceleration, and the impact on the steering wheel,” explains DEKRA accident researcher Markus Egelhaaf. In the 2019+ Golf, however, the occupants would have likely escaped with minor injuries in the same crash scenario. “The entire passenger compartment remained completely intact, and the occupants were very well protected by the front and side airbags in combination with the seat belts, belt tensioners, and belt force limiters.”
Crash Technology Advances Save Lives
With a few doomed or seriously injured occupants, it’s pretty clear crash technology has come a long way. Part of that lies in prevention. The 2024 Golf that was also tested featured a 30% improvement in braking performance over the old model. The car’s on-road performance helps in avoidance, too. Engineers also evaluated the two using the standardized double-lane-change test to simulate sudden evasive maneuvers around an obstacle – driving around it, and then steering back into the original lane. Predictably, the newer car was able to perform the maneuver at higher speeds thanks to modern tires and traction control tech.
Headlights Play A Big Role In Keeping You Safe
The constant forward march of technology means its easier to see what you’re trying to avoid, too. The second-generation Golf’s halogen headlights were a big upgrade for their day, just as the current Golf’s LEDs are in our time. Not only do the LED lights up fron make it easier to see, but LED elements at the rear also increase your visibility from the rear. “Overall, the tests have shown the progress that has been made in vehicle safety over the past 35 years,” said Egelhaaf. They also illustrate some of the risks we as enthusiasts take when hitting the road in our classics.
