The security has always been one of the most important subjects in the automotive sector. Obviously, manufacturers want to protect their drivers as much as possible in the event of an accident and to do so it is necessary to test and reinforce many aspects. That is why we see prototypes such as the OSV 40which exactly 50 years ago ensured everyone’s safety. It was the guinea pig for the lightning brand and introduced innovations that allowed it to survive impacts like never before.
OSV 40 was a name taken from one of the tests it endured (at 40 mph), but this vehicle was actually a Opel Kadett C which was used as an Opel security vehicle (OSV) in 1974. At that time, half a century ago, compact cars did not have the level of impact resistance that they have today. However, this model surprised with its robustness. It managed to withstand a frontal impact at 64.37 km/h (40 mph) with quite a bit of security.
The objectives achieved are that they could open its four doors without the aid of any tools or the front section being compressed by just 50 cm. It also performed well in other tests such as a frontal collision with a pylon at 50 km/h, a rear impact, a side impact with a pole and during the rollover test at 48 km/h. All this while maintaining a weight of 960 kgbelow the one-ton limit that the brand had on its head. The modifications that were made to the OSV 40 were quite surprising.
Taking that base from the Opel Kadett C, they changed its sheet metal bumpers for special ones polyurethane foam fillings. This increased their shock absorption capacity and left only a small deformation. The cavities of the thresholds and doors were also filled with polyurethane foam, while reinforced the ceiling beams and the front seat backrests (which were mounted on the roof itself). Even the windshield was fixed directly to the body to increase rigidity.
In the cockpit of the OSV 40 there is still a good number of padded surfaces (yes, with polyurethane foam) or with a steering wheel that could be folded down to avoid damage. The front seats, in addition to being fixed to the roof, were wider and added a few interesting side supports to prevent passengers from colliding with each other. The rear seats were fitted with roller blind-style headrests. Other details included split rear-view mirrors (like those in driving schools) and a central warning system from Hella that controlled up to 11 functions.
