They were easier to service and repair, yes. But they also needed a lot more maintenance. In 1970, the average recommended oil change interval for a car was 2,500 miles. Also, cars needed regular tune-ups, to adjust the timing belts, clean the carburetor — which was recommended to be done every 6,000 miles, on average for a car made in 1970. Clutches in transmissions wore out all the time.

Today, cars are being sold with oil change intervals of 15,000 miles / 1 year. Tune-ups aren’t even a thing anymore, because engine timing is controlled by an ECU, and fuel injection has replaced carburetors. Transmissions routinely last the entire life of the car and go hundreds of thousands of miles with no maintenance — that was literally not a thing for a car made in 1970.

So when people say modern cars are of much lower quality, I never really understand what they’re talking about.