No, cars weren’t better then. Easier to work on, easier to customize.
A stock Corvette today can blow the doors off pure race cars from the 60s, easily.
Heck a V6 Mustang today can probably blow the doors off a V8 Mustang from the 60s. And that is in a straight line. Put them both on a road course and it wouldn’t even be close (those old cars handle like caca).
‘65 Mustang GT w/289, 275hp: 0-60 7.5 sec, 15-20 mpg
‘11 Mustang V6 base: 0-60 5.1 sec, 19-29 mpg
“Better” is highly subjective. I don’t care one bit if the new ones can “blow the doors off” the old cars. The old cars looked great, and had soul and character. The new ones are butt-ugly, dead chunks of metal (and way too much plastic).
I’m never buying a new car again, I know that much. But buying a new body and putting together my own? Yeah I might do that. Has anyone taken up manufacturing of the ‘68 Dodge Charger body yet??