We made it all illegal, ignoring the fact that not all Americans can afford the fancy stuff. Maybe there was even offense taken that some people would have less

We made it all illegal, ignoring the fact that not all Americans can afford the fancy stuff. Maybe there was even offense taken that some people would have less-fancy things. So now our typical building code says you have to pay for copper wires instead of aluminum, you need arc-fault interrupters instead of circuit breakers or simple fuses, you need wired-in alarms in every room, an air conditioner must be installed, balloon construction is prohibited, walls need internal cross bracing, studs must be close together, and on an on. If you can't afford all that, evidently you aren't supposed to have a home. Likewise, producing the original VW Beetle and selling it would be illegal. You have to have a zillion air bags, all very expensive. You have to have a camera and a screen. You have to have ABS or even traction control. You have to have a catalytic converter. You have to have more than one brake light. The turn signals must be lights. If you can't afford all that, evidently you don't belong on the road.