Low speed torque and driveability ?

I think the whole "driveability" deal is a function of the fact that most hotrodders for the past several decades have built with an automatic transmission and for a long time it was much more difficult to get a converter that worked well with anything but a mild cam, and especially if it was intended to be driven more than 30 minutes at a time.
Times have changed, and lots of folks "daily drive" some pretty wild stuff anymore. At least when compared to street cars of yore. There's also a lot more tech and more builders who understand it than before and so the value of low rpm torque isn't what it used to be. But for the guy wanting a nostalgic build with simpler components, it can be an important factor.