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http://ca.autos.yahoo.com/p/1145/deadliest-car-designsDeadliest car designs
AskMen.com - Thomas Bey
Ralph Nader wasn’t exactly in love with the Chevrolet Corvair, but history and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have largely exonerated the car. Other cars had, and have, more serious issues -- and we’re not talking about controlled crash tests, but real-world problems.
Let’s have a look at some of the deadliest car designs to ever turn a wheel -- or turn over altogether. Some are inherently flawed, while some require driver error to bring out their worst. Either way, these are the top 10 deadliest car designs -- drivers beware.
No.10 - Volkswagen Bus
helena.40proof/Flickr.com
Do we really have to spell out why this is one of the top 10 deadliest car designs? There’s something exceptionally disconcerting in knowing your body is atop and ahead of the front wheels. Along with other flat-nosed pickups and vans of the day, this VDub took things a step further: If a head-on collision didn’t do you in, there was always the potential for engine fires from the under-aerated engine, signifying one of the rare occasions when a VW Bus produced any appreciable degree of heat.
No.9 - Suzuki Samurai
TurnDriverSide/Flickr.com
Despite having horsepower that could almost be counted on fingers and toes, some Cletuses managed to get their Samurais up to speeds greater than a jog, then attempted to change direction -- bad idea. Suzuki’s little SUV had a high center of gravity and the stability of a shopping cart, with approximately the same level of occupant protection.
No.8 - Porsche 930 Turbo
Clemson/Flickr.com
There was a time when the Porsche 911 demanded even more precise handling, and throttle lift mid-corner sent you backward into the weeds. When a turbo was added, you got a car whose potency was matched only by its lethality. Porsche’s contribution to our deadliest car designs is the tricky 930 Turbo. In the right hands, it was sublime, however, the slightest of errors in high-speed cornering often meant you wouldn’t get a chance to try again.
No.7 - Mercedes-Benz 300SL
Alan_D/Flickr.com
As pretty as it looked, and as confidently as it accelerated, the Mercedes-Benz 300SL gull-wing coupe was a handling nightmare. The harder the car was pushed, the more likely the swing-axle rear suspension would get moody at the worst moment possible. Like the aforementioned Porsche 930 (though for different reasons), the gull-wing could have ranked higher among our top 10 deadliest car designs. A combination of exclusivity, driver skill and prudence have likely kept more from suffering the consequences of this deadly car design.
No.6 - Chevrolet Corvette
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When you mix cheap speed and fiberglass, your car gets unflattering nicknames like 'plastic casket.' Our No. 6 deadliest car design was a novelty act upon its introduction in 1953. In the decades since, the Corvette’s composition has become as fundamental as any of the model’s signature elements. If Chevy could convince the faithful to accept, say, aluminum, owners would at long last enjoy cars that don’t shatter upon impact.
No.5 - Austin-Healey Sprite
Wikimedia Commons
Like many sports imports, 'Bugeye' Healeys were sometimes retrofitted with wood-rimmed steering wheels that got all splinter-happy in a wreck. However, one of the deadliest car designs came from BMC itself: an optional child seat. It was little more than a glorified armrest on the transmission tunnel, and no, there wasn’t a seat belt. And in a car that was already tight for two adults, a squirming kidlet between them didn’t quite make for a relaxing drive.
No.4 - VW Beetle
Wikimedia Commons
Air-cooled cars never heated all that well, especially in the VW Beetle’s day. Some Bug drivers kept their ice scrapers at hand to periodically clear the inside of the windshield while driving. Others opted for the gas heater. Yes, a gasoline heater radiating its goodness throughout the cabin -- for those who enjoyed fumes and flammability with their warmth. What’s most interesting about this deadliest car design is not the concern over toxicity at the time, but the worry of the heaters using too much gas that could otherwise power the engines.
No.3 - Subaru BRAT
Wikimedia Commons
Unlike our No. 9 deadliest car design, the Suzuki Samurai, this Japanese 4x4 wasn’t prone to launch into the spin cycle. Instead, the Subaru BRAT earns its place with a sort of James Bond feature: the jump seats in the pickup box. A well-timed drive over a good bump would launch the rear-facing passengers possibly out of the vehicle altogether. Amazingly, this feature was not revived for the spiritual-successor Baja a few years back.
No.2 - Ford Pinto
Wikimedia Commons
Unlike the baseless 'unintentional acceleration' fiasco that nearly ruined Audi, Ford is no stranger to very real fuel tank issues. The Crown Victoria may not be the crown jewel of safety, but it still beats the Pinto. Not only could the Pinto’s tank puncture in a rear-ender, the doors could also jam, sealing passengers inside. 'The barbecue that seats four' didn’t really kill thousands as urban legend would have you believe, but the potential was there. Ford’s reported awareness and sluggish response to the issue only sealed the car’s fate as one of the top 10 deadliest car designs.
No.1 - Chevrolet pickups
Franco Folini/Flickr.com
Chevy pickup trucks made from 1973 through 1987 have been on the road with a seriously deadly innovation: side-saddle gas tanks. This deadliest car design of all began with good intentions: 1960s pickups’ gas tanks were typically inside the cab, behind the bench seat. An obvious safety hazard, right? GM’s eventual solution was to offer dual 20-gallon tanks mounted outboard of the frame. So, as you can guess, nail these trucks behind the cab and they could very easily go boom. Too easily, in fact.
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