“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??
I like old cars as well. I just am not under the delusion that they are better vehicles in any objective standard.
Everything you mention is subjective, and many points I agree with. A lot of the hideous parts of modern cars are a result of working around safety standards. There is no way my dad’s 1958 Austin-Healey 100-6 (for example) would pass 1974 standards, never mind 2011. But styling-wise it blows the doors off every modern car except maybe a few exotics. Lots of soul and character.
Not a good example of old beauty ...