Comment by craigkilgo

A percentage of this effect is due to "restrictions" on manufacturing. i.e. you had to make things with a certain thickness of steel, etc. You see this effect with American goods too. You have avocado green fridges still running for 50 years or washing machines from the 1970's that are still running. Things don't last today because we have paper thin metal and various other cheap parts and there is no incentive to make a washing machine that lasts for 40 years.