There's been a video floating around on the internet for a few months now. It's of an offset head-on crash test done by the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety to commemorate its 50th anniversary and to point out how far vehicle safety has come in the last half-century.

You have to watch it to believe it. Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joMK1WZjP7g

Essentially, the '59 is demolished and the Malibu, while messed up, has an intact driver's compartment.

Of course, even after the wreck, the '59 Bel Air is still a better looking car than the pre-crash Malibu, but that's more an indictment of modern vehicle styling. Too bad they had to destroy a sweet old ride to prove a point.