Think of all the parts that go into a car. Do you really believe all the parts were made on a Monday?
Engineering and Quality practices are exponentially improved, not only from 30 years ago, but even 10 years ago. New models would not concern me, unless it was some radical new technology, ie: hybrid
The "lush" comment is ridiculous, and insulting. It says more about the person you know who said that. I work in manufacturing, but not in automotive