Beauflex,

Exactly my point and your picture shows it perfectly. Older vehicles just plain collapsed because the design expertise required to create the kind of structure you showed just flat out didn't exist back then. So even though that '59 Chevy in the video collapsed and thus dissapated the energy somewhat, it wasn't by design and the car collapsed around (and through) the driver. Older vehicles may give the illusion that they protect occupants better, but the sad truth is that if they do, it's more by luck than design. I'll take the newer designs because they factor more than just good looks in thank you.

 

The video of the 2001 F150 in the gruesome offset crash test looks like it is a 2WD truck. The 1999-2002 4WD Expeditions (which had a version of the F150 frame) had a 5 star crash rating if I'm not mistaken. So what they show you is not a fair comparison between the 99-02 body style and 04-08 style. I'm definitely not arguing the newer trucks are much safer though.

 

The 1999 F-150 was also five star crash rated. (full frontal impact).
The videos above are frontal offset collisions.

Manufacturers were compelled to comply with safety requirements and 35 mph full frontal barrier crash was the standard (headlight to headlight)
As many models attained the Five Star Rating for this test, the bar was raised.
The tests included 40mph frontal offset, only 40% (driverside) strikes barrier.
Many (full frontal) Five Star models (F-150 included) performed poorly as indicated above in the offset tests.
Newer models tackled and passed the offset tests.

This tactic is how you might teach a toddler to ride a bike.
You start with the training wheels all the way down.
Then you raise them a few clicks until the toddler attains "five stars".
Then you raise the training wheels some more.....