As a fun fact that many already know- yes- modern cars often take heavy damage from even relatively minor accidents while older cars often show little or no visible damage from the same or similar accidents. Many take this as a sign newer cars lack quality. In general it is quite the opposite. Modern cars are designed to deform and break to dissipate crash energy. If a car is traveling at 40mph and gets into a crash, it can be reduced to 0mph in a fraction of a second. The occupant of the car continues to travel forward at 40mph until they are acted on by an object moving slower. Eg: they collide with the dashboard, air bags, or the seat belt stops their forward motion. This isn’t great for the human body. The force exerted can be equivalent to falling off a building. Restraint systems help you to not “suddenly stop” like hitting the ground after jumping from a second story building. Seat belts are made to allow you controlled forward motion to help you slow down, air bags offer…
.. a similar benefit while also mitigating contact with hard objects inside the car. Regardless of the help these systems offer the physics are what they are, force from the impact/sudden change in speed (delta really) will be transferred in part to the occupants. Picture dropping a box of eggs- just because the box is what hits the ground doesn’t mean the eggs don’t break.
Modern cars have several design features that are either less advanced, uncommon, or not found on older cars. Most modern cars frames are designed to offer a path for force that takes more of the force and acts to “guide it” away from occupants. They also feature lord of body panels and structures beneath the body which act to break and thusly help dissipate force. Like bubble wrap- the bubbles might pop but generally you want to keep what is inside the wrap safe and wether the wrap can be reused is a secondary concern if at all.
Older cars or cars that don’t appreciably deform (in a controlled fashion) tend to be more dangerous the the occupants in the event of a crash because since the car hasn’t absorbed the force. The force has to go somewhere so a lot of it goes to the passengers.
Modern cars have several design features that are either less advanced, uncommon, or not found on older cars. Most modern cars frames are designed to offer a path for force that takes more of the force and acts to “guide it” away from occupants. They also feature lord of body panels and structures beneath the body which act to break and thusly help dissipate force. Like bubble wrap- the bubbles might pop but generally you want to keep what is inside the wrap safe and wether the wrap can be reused is a secondary concern if at all.