Safety has been a major concern of automakers for decades now. But as this vintage photo sequence shows, some profound changes have taken place during that time with respect to the general sophistication of test methodologies. It depicts a '54 Studebaker sedan being hurled into an outdoor earthen barrier to assess the effectiveness of a new rear-door latch. The mechanism reportedly survived this 40-mph impact relatively unscathed. However, mere moments after the test was completed, a squad of fashion police swooped down on the assembled onlookers and issued a massive group citation.-Bob Nagy