GM crash test dummy donated to Smithsonian after 15 years of whiplash

– July 29, 2010Posted in: Car Valuations

Filed under: Classics, Government/Legal, Safety, Technology, GM

GM’s H50-1 ATD in action – Click above for high-res image gallery

General Motors has made an unusual donation to the Smithsonian: a crash test dummy. Well, not just any crash test dummy. The company handed over its H50-1 anthromorphic testing device, or ATD, to the museum to help catalog the advancement of vehicle safety in this country. After a full 15 years of service, H50-1 was ready for retirement, and rather than spend his days playing shuffleboard, The General decided to allow him to continue educating by going on display at the National Museum for American History.

GM also donated a slew of other “safety artifacts” along with its ATD. According to the Smithsonian, GM’s dummy design helped to set the industry standard for crash safety research. While H50-1 was constructed as a stand-in for the typical male, the company says that it has over 200 ATD designs to represent every sort of vehicle occupant under the sun. We’d like to see that family portrait. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Gallery: GM Donates H50-1 Crash Test Dummy to Smithsonian