Welcome to Sunday Matinee, where we highlight classic car reviews or other longer videos I find on YouTube. Kick back and enjoy this blast from the past.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Driver, Jalopnik contributor, and all-around great guy Parker Kligerman once wrote that horsepower probably saved his life. That's because a car's performance ability can often mean the difference between carrying on to your destination, or getting smashed in the face.
In a tight spot, you don't want to test a car's advanced safety features like crumple zones or belt pre-tensioners or all-unibody construction. You want to be able to exit the situation as quickly and as smoothly as possible, whether that means powering out of it, stomping on some big brakes, or having the right suspension to enable total car control.
Sure, there are completely unavoidable situations, which means that no matter what, someone, somewhere, maybe even you, will have to rely on those advanced safety systems. But we'd rather you didn't have to.
What about, though, if you couldn't rely on those systems? What if there were no airbags, no cross-drilled and ventilated rotors, no fully-independent suspensions, no traction control setups that could think faster than you possibly can?
Back in 1935, when this short film was made by Chevrolet, the only safety systems that existed were the ones that kept you on the road. More power, better brakes, and better suspension could all help you out more than anything else could, especially in an era when a collapsible steering column seems like a particularly daft idea.
So I'm glad to see that Chevrolet had its heart in the right place, 79 years ago. It's always good to see.
Also, that little kid is so pissed off it's hilarious.