My dad owned a late 60s Ford Cortina, 1600cc push rod engine, which probably made 100hp on a good day. If you look at it's 1959 predecessor it was about 1000cc and made 39hp.
That Cortina also was a POS.
'Some' 1950's and 1960's American cars weren't POS. Everything else was. I don't think until the Japanese automakers efforts at world domination in the 1970's did you see high quality reliable ordinary cars.
Volvo was always damn reliable from 1950-s on through 1991 as long you as you changed oil, or at least topped it up regularly. Can't kill it, there's almost nothing to go wrong with it. Same basic engine design for 40 years. (B18, B21.)
That Cortina also was a POS.
'Some' 1950's and 1960's American cars weren't POS. Everything else was. I don't think until the Japanese automakers efforts at world domination in the 1970's did you see high quality reliable ordinary cars.