We've been in the mid manufacturing era for quite a while, when every part is engineered to fail the day after the warranty expires. Maybe the idea of a bicycle that can last seven decades is interesting to people.
There are plenty of products (eg. especially cars) that are much, much more reliable than their older counterparts.
And when a bike costs more, as a layman, you have a hard time judging if it costs more because of more profit or better quality.
If you’re willing to pay the same (inflation adjusted) I think the overall quality is considerably better than 30+ years ago.