Chevrolet and Ford took very different approaches to automotive safety in 1957. Here’s the Chevy perspective in an original Jam Handy dealer film. 

We have a feeling that this 1957 Chevrolet dealer film, produced by the inimitable Jam Handy and entitled Safety Built In, was probably created as a response to the Lifeguard Design program launched by the Ford Motor Company in 1956 (read our story here). In those days, Ford and Chevy were fierce and relentless competitors on every front,  matching nearly blow for blow. But while the Ford safety campaign focused on innovative features like seat belts and padded instrument panels, this film touts Chevrolet’s existing engineering and design—hence the name Safety Built In. 

The movie opens with a quaint old 1917-ish Chevrolet 490 touring car quavering along the boulevard, then steadily ticks through the 40 years of engineering advances that in the company’s view, made the ’57 Chevy the safest yet: improved brakes, steering, and suspension, more powerful engines, greater visibility. It’s an intriguing evolutionary path to ponder. We note that many of the film’s scenes take place on divided, limited-access highways—a new feature on the American landscape in 1957 that permitted greater speeds and encouraged longer journeys.

Of course, the real revolution in automotive safety would begin a decade later with Ralph Nader and the consumer movement, but this film provides a useful look at how the industry and the American public viewed auto safety in the 1950s. Video follows.