Passenger and pedestrian crash protection was a relatively low priority for manufacturers for many years. With several well-known exceptions, manufacturers were coy about releasing information on the safety aspects of their products and the results of crash testing were considered ‘commercially sensitive’ and not readily available. In 1986 the consumer Which? magazine favourably listed the following nine cars, within the budget, supermini, small family, family and large car sectors. The findings of the consumer magazine results go beyond the structural design of the cars. Avoiding an accident in the first place, the use of bonded low-laceration glass, interior padding, collapsible steering and fuelling ancillaries and storage as well as the physical weight of the car went some way into their scoring system. Not surprisingly the best pre-NCAP honours were given to the Swedes and it’s no surprise to learn that all three main Volvo models of the 80s feature here.
The cheapest way to survive a crash in a new car came courtesy of the Lada Riva, most likely due to its weight and size.
In the supermini sector, the Toyota Starlet performed well, with the VW Polo providing a similarly positive result. Many of the best-selling family cars also performed better than average, with the comparatively new VW Golf, Vauxhall Astra and Toyota Corolla all demonstrating ample consideration for safety.
However, it was the 10-year-old Volvo 300 series that topped this sector. The Volvo 200 and 700 series, along with the Mercedes 190 represented the pinnacle of the large family car sector. It wasn’t long before other manufacturers took notice of safety being used as a marketing tool. More importantly, the data results of crash testing have become more readily available and by 1997, the NCAP stats became a mandatory requirement.
