“thank you Fiat” - one NCAP don’t want you to read
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“thank you Fiat” - one NCAP don’t want you to read
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Two words come to mind looking at that: closed casket.
lunchbeers
Established member
They might as well just bury the lot!
I had an Uno...I swear a stiff cross wind dented it so that result didn't surprise me at the time.
It was a special kind of flimsy where 90 mph was terrifying...and passing a lorry was inadvisable as the breeze may push you into a different lane.
Mk1 Punto felt like a bank vault after..
It was a special kind of flimsy where 90 mph was terrifying...and passing a lorry was inadvisable as the breeze may push you into a different lane.
Mk1 Punto felt like a bank vault after..
1993/4 was when there was a big shift in vehicle safety, I remember all the Tv shows in the evening back then like old top gear would run a piece on how unsafe are car was in a crash test. Other consumer advice shows would run pieces on “cut and shuts” or other motoring things, it was around that time that, catalytic converters became standard, airbags started appearing on new cars, I think I seam to remember some law changes around the need to wear seatbelts for children around the early 90s so there was a big change in people’s attitudes to cars and how safe (or unsafe) they were.
NCAP formed in 1996 so when Fiat made the Punto to replace the Uno they had to make a much safer car. I seem to remember they had an advert with crash test dummies when the Punto came out
NCAP formed in 1996 so when Fiat made the Punto to replace the Uno they had to make a much safer car. I seem to remember they had an advert with crash test dummies when the Punto came out
1996-8 was the earliest days of NCAP.
Watching the pillars and door shape and the sills..er yeah we've come a long way. Amazing to think mk1 actually scored 2 stars.
Watching the pillars and door shape and the sills..er yeah we've come a long way. Amazing to think mk1 actually scored 2 stars.
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So ....
my Barchetta NCAP - Not listed
my Strada Abarth or any other Strada/Ritmo - Not listed
As for the Barchetta I would expect it to rate better than a Punto of the same period as whilst the floorpan is essentially the same Fiat really beefed up the inner and out sills, doors are like bricks as are the wings (front and back) and also the windscreen A Posts to roof line.
No rating or anything stops that scoffolding pole spearing you. An NCAP test for that would see zero stars for every make of car
my Barchetta NCAP - Not listed
my Strada Abarth or any other Strada/Ritmo - Not listed
As for the Barchetta I would expect it to rate better than a Punto of the same period as whilst the floorpan is essentially the same Fiat really beefed up the inner and out sills, doors are like bricks as are the wings (front and back) and also the windscreen A Posts to roof line.
No rating or anything stops that scoffolding pole spearing you. An NCAP test for that would see zero stars for every make of car
there is a video on youtbube of a crash test between the hatch back and convertible mk1 punto, the hard top folded in the middle, the rag top didn’t buckle at all. I suspect the barchetta uses a similar design to strengthen the floor, and the punto cabriolet was able to avoid the horrible rollover hoop that the golf and escort convertibles of that era, had because the windscreen was strong enough to support twice he car's weight so yeah I suspect the little barchetta is a strong little bugger
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OP
I saw this show one time, it was like a hero of the year thing UK wide. Where people who acted courageously to save someone’s life in a crazy situation being nominated for an award but they had full on professional reenactment of it. Some were firefighters etc but others were circumstantial ‘everyday’ people. Around 2015-16.So ....
my Barchetta NCAP - Not listed
my Strada Abarth or any other Strada/Ritmo - Not listed
As for the Barchetta I would expect it to rate better than a Punto of the same period as whilst the floorpan is essentially the same Fiat really beefed up the inner and out sills, doors are like bricks as are the wings (front and back) and also the windscreen A Posts to roof line.
No rating or anything stops that scoffolding pole spearing you. An NCAP test for that would see zero stars for every make of car
One was a guy out on a family road trip or something. Really foggy day. Saw flames on the road / smoke. Stopped and looked around. Some little Peugeot 106 or similar shape car, crashed and on fire.
Went through one of those barbed wire farm fences with the wooden posts.
He reckoned the car was minutes away from going on fire as there was a leak. He tried to get the guy out but he had an actual wooden post through him that ripped right through the car! I couldn’t believe it at the time but at speed.. thin sheet metal. Anything’s possible right?
Somehow he managed to get him our seconds before it went bang. The guy survived.
I can’t remember how - it does sound quite made up but it was on TV / he was being nominated for saving the man’s life in such crazy circumstances.
Every time I drive past those fences now I always wonder what the likelihood of something like that happening with them is. Seen something similar about motorway central reservations on YouTube a while back too..
The right circumstances can make anything fold. That American corner on crash really exposed that to me.
Well I hope so not that we are planning on testing it.
Been there myself. When I was at North Staffs Poly I was in a mini van (front passenger) with driver and another guy in the back, travelling from Stafford down to South Wales for a canoeing slalom competition. Near Worcester on M5 the driver fell asleep at the wheel. The mini van left the road, up the embankment, along the wooden railed / wire fence, spun and rolled over back down the embankment into the ditch. When I came round I had battery acid pouring over me, could not open the door and had to crawl out through the broken windscreen and between the open bonnet with petrol coming from the engine above.
What I didn't know at the time I learnt when I heard a doctor and nurse discussing how lucky I was to have not lost my left leg.
Apparently the fence lower horizontal wood rail penetrated the wheel arch, hit my leg and then thankfully broke off as the mini came back down the embankment.
I still have the scarr on my leg 50 years later.
Another thing I'm grateful for is that I was wearing my glasses. My face was peppered with glass splinters. Itched like hell but thankfully nothing in or near my eyes.
The seatbelt I guess save my life leaving just bruising and a friction burn. No airbags in those days!
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OP
That sounds terrifying!!! Glad you survived to tell the tale. Someone looking out for you above there!
Too easy on the road to end up in some horrific situations. Fair play to those in the emergency services who are seeing it day in day out. Real hero’s alright.
I have one thing t'say about this thread...
I find it difficult to believe that the so called engineers who make new cars these days, can't devise a system that can detect two cars on an opposing collision course, and modify the vehicles trajectory to ensure they, miss each other.
I find it difficult to believe that the so called engineers who make new cars these days, can't devise a system that can detect two cars on an opposing collision course, and modify the vehicles trajectory to ensure they, miss each other.
Self driving car territory, swerve to avoid the collision and take out a bus of school children
The car on the wrong side of the road to be auto corrected.... car on correct side wouldn't even notice...
Humans are generally quite good at this bar quite infrequent instances
Ignoring NCAP as such we need to understand that we ALL make driving mistakes. I have and probably will again in the future. If we are lucky we get away with it. If we are mildly unlucky we have a minor bump.
As for driver aids, even venturing to self drive, then this is a two edge sword. Before rear parking sensors we learnt to safely judge those reverse parking manoevers. Similarly with reverse parallel parking. Incidents were few. Now the reversing sensors dull that skill and we rely on them. Same goes for those self parking cars I guess (I don't have one).
I had a comment from someone that they love their Sat Nav with Road View as they can press on faster becuase they can see/judge what is coming next ahead of them!
Coming back to NCAP then yes it is good that they test cars for their relative safety. The results will hopefully drive manufacturers to improve their vehicle safety designs if not for "that" model but for the "next".
As for driver aids, even venturing to self drive, then this is a two edge sword. Before rear parking sensors we learnt to safely judge those reverse parking manoevers. Similarly with reverse parallel parking. Incidents were few. Now the reversing sensors dull that skill and we rely on them. Same goes for those self parking cars I guess (I don't have one).
I had a comment from someone that they love their Sat Nav with Road View as they can press on faster becuase they can see/judge what is coming next ahead of them!
Coming back to NCAP then yes it is good that they test cars for their relative safety. The results will hopefully drive manufacturers to improve their vehicle safety designs if not for "that" model but for the "next".
OMG.... You forget..... the western world is breeding idiots. It all went downhill from the day we went decimal.
Why don't they fix headlight dazzling, or traffic lights, or the millions of REAL things that need fixing !!!
OP
OP
Because idiots who buy the latest Audi’s NEED 1,000,000 lumens to blind the peasants! (It helps them forget they’re driving a VW)
Though to be honest.. those Kia Sportages are the worse offenders in my area
