Old FM Tuners....O.K., Great or Folklore...

You can name most of them, Like the Sansui 719 and more. Has anyone actually had the chance to compare an older well thought of tuner to the better current manufactured units..like Magnum Dynalab..etc.? The high end Audio hobby/passion is filled with nostalga. As an example, I put much money into a 1960 Corvette..when done my Dad said, "you know what you have there.....an old car". When I got some newer cars I learned he was right. So is older audio gear more than a trip down memory lane? And I know there are some classic models from ARC, CJ and more..... so ie: are some old classics simply old classics compared to more current high end technology and components within those units? Just asking.