Who said it was more reliable? I was just pointing out that with the advent of EFI and electronic ignition, having a car start up after a period of inactivity is no big deal.
And, having rebuilt many Brit cars, 10 years of garage storage does not require WD40 in the cylinders. Remember, the Brit cars coat their cylinders with oil anyway. :P
The longest time I’ve seen a Jaguar sit and still fire up without anything but a battery recharge/fresh battery was 5 years - the owner had signed up for military service and hadn’t returned for that long.
“Oh, it starts right up after sitting for 6 months” is no big deal. Even my lawnmower can do that. :P
Anything that sits 10 years in an unheated shed or outdoors will need wd40. When a heavy cast iron object(engine block) is not kept in a climate controlled space, it sweats everytime the air temperature rises fast. You know what a glass of ice tea does on a hot summer day? That’s what your engine block does on every surface, inside and out. Drill presses, milling machines, and lathes do too, but that’s another matter.
Mouse urine does even more damage to ferrous based metals.
Brit cars coat every part of themselves with oil...internal and external...and parts of the driveway too.