I'm happy to see this discussion. So many people take the attitude that any car built before (arbitrary cut off, usually 1970s) is inherently safer than later cars because STEEL and completely overlook that just because the vehicle may possibly be more robust, somehow that translates to immunity for the occupants.
AMEN to that. I've see a video of crashs test comparing a late 50's Impala I believe with a modern sedan. The older car was pretty much demolished and the driver certainly wouldn't have survived. The newer car with it's energy absorbing crumple zones and other safety features, such as engine mounts designed to deflect the engine downward, was totalled as well, but the passenger compartment was basically intact, and with the air bags, the driver would have just been shaken or lightly injured.
Pretty eye opening.
[on edit] Found it. Check this out.
Crash test video
