Personally, I think it is real. Safety has come a long way since then. If I am not mistaken in 59 they hadn't gone to a telescopic steering shaft yet A harder impact might impale the driver. Also getting hit in the driver door in our old cars would be very bad. If you ever look inside the doors of new cars and trucks you will see steel tubing similiar to roll bars. I am in the new/used parts business. Picking up a 68 Nova door and a new malibu door are two totally different monsters. I would hate to think what would happen if a suburban ran a light and hit me in the driver door of my Nova.... It would probably stop somewhere in the middle of my bench seat...
Tommy
