Quality

Days of Yor, valve grinds happened regularly at 80 - 100k miles, - re-ring 100 - 120 k miles. Won't even mention camshaft/timing chains .
Today we go 200, 000 kilometers, without even taking the valve covers off !
Maybe a timing belt 120 k.

Lot to be said for progress in metallurgy, and lubrication.


That’s some of it. But machining techniques and EFI are really what has made longevity much higher.