I agree it sometimes seems weird without knowing the back story.
For sure the world has changed, though, and not necessarily in a way that makes products more "robust".
For example, do you trust the relay contacts you buy today more than you trust those in your 1968 GM-engineered ignition switch? Which had more engineering behind the materials and design? Which had more cost pressure when developed and marketed? I truly think GM (and other US auto manufacturers) in the 60s and 70s had amazing engineering depth and expertise. In my experience and to your point about cars being more "robust" back then, there were many parts "over-designed" by today's standards.
My old boss used to describe design decisions that cut reliability to save cost "harvesting the margin". One thing technology delivered in the last 50 years are tools to more accurately predict component life. These tools are definitely used to harvest margins. "How good is good enough?" can be answered a LOT better today than in 1968.
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