Agreed. My 1972 MGB got 28mpg. I realize cars have improved in many ways since then (crash safety, NOx emissions, comfort) but I feel like in 50 years we stopped caring about efficiency as much.
My 1998 SC2 Weighed ~2400 pounds and got MPG in the low 30s (35+ on the highway).
> NOx emissions
Managing that often impacts fuel economy. Ask VW group =)