[urq] 80's Audi were Below average in NHTSA crash test . Audi A4 bumpers are well rated

[Todd Phenneger]

Thanks Huw.

I was sure it was the Type 85 that first had Pro Con 10.
I had forgotten about the offset steering column.  Thanks for that tidbit.
;-)

Have a good one.  


> From: Huw Powell <audi at humanspeakers.com>
> Reply-To: <audi at humanspeakers.com>
> Date: Fri, 17 Aug 2007 20:48:34 -0400
> To: Ingo Rautenberg <ingo.rautenberg at gmail.com>
> Cc: urq list <urq at audifans.com>, steven j <michellepfeiffersx at yahoo.com>,
> Quattro List <quattro at audifans.com>, Tony Hoffman <auditony at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [urq] 80's Audi were Below average in NHTSA crash test . Audi A4
> bumpers are well rated
> 
> 
>> On Aug 17, 2007, at 5:05 PM, steven j wrote:
>> Feel free to correct me on details.
> 
> I'll try where I can...
> 
>>> I've been looking at the NHTSA crash tests since they
>>> came out in about 1979.   The 1985-ish Audi 5000 got a
>>> horrible crash rating.
> 
> Gee, I'd love to see a link on that.  Considering virtually everything
> that follows is just plain wrong.
> 
>>> With the steering rack on the
>>> firewall and that 5cyl going to the bumper the
>>> steering wheel was pushed back in a crash delivering a
>>> punch to the drivers head.
> 
> The steering column has an offset breakaway section.  What you describe
> is imaginary.
> 
>>> The 4000's tested at the
>>> time were just the 4cyls - and the results weren't as
>>> bad as the 5000, probably because the missing cylinder
>>> allowed  an extra 5 inches before it started pushing
>>> the steering rack back.  One would imagine a 5cyl in
>>> the type 85 would be worse than the 5000 crash test.
> 
> One could imagine many things, yes.
> 
>>> Of course if you have an offset crash - and the engine
>>> doesn't get pushed back - the car is probably fine.
> 
>>> For around 1989 Audi introduced PRO-CON-TEN in the 100
>>> and 200 where cables push the engine forward in a
>>> crash and those cars cut driver head injury to low
>>> levels.
> 
> Actually, the engine/tranny being pushed back activates the cables,
> which then lock up the seat belts (and on some cars, even retractes the
> steering column *forward*).
> 
>>> I think when airbags came the pro-con-ten cables might
>>> not have been installed, but they were on the 100/200
>>> only.
> 
> And the 80/90 from '88 on, among other cars people have noted.
> 
> -- 
> Huw Powell
> 
> http://www.humanspeakers.com/audi
> 
> http://www.humanthoughts.org/
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