<VV> Steering Shaft - Human Spear -- Safety

[JVHRoberts at aol.com]

And the Fiat, like nearly all rack and pinion cars, had a significant  offset 
between the steering column and the rack. Meaning, in an accident, it  would 
simply push the base of the column sideways...
 
 
In a message dated 12/9/2005 2:31:57 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
sdebaker at ispwest.com writes:

The  FIAT/Bertone X1/9 (rear, mid-engine format) has a front structure that  
reminds me of the Corvair. Between the passenger compartment and the front  
of the car is a deep, completely-open cargo well. Bertone designed the  X1/9 
to meet crash worthiness standards that the U.S. government (a.k.a.  Bunch 
of third-rate lawyers and other incompetents who can't get or don't  want 
real jobs) was considering. The standards were to withstand a 50 mph  
head-on collision and an 80 mph rollover. These standards were not enacted  
at the time, but the X1/9 met them.

This doesn't mean the Corvair  would meet the same levels of crash 
worthiness that the X1/9 does, but at  least the frontal crush zone seems  
validated.

Paul