I agree.
Look how long it took BMW to totally redesign their “boxer” motorcycle engines.
The air-cooled “boxer” engine used essentially the same design (with myriad tweaks and improvements but no total design overhauls) from 1923 until the early 90s.
That’s not exactly “rushing” a new product to market.
“The air-cooled “boxer” engine used essentially the same design (with myriad tweaks and improvements but no total design overhauls) from 1923 until the early 90s.”
Got an ‘84 with over 150 thou on it. It’s hardly been touched.
A valid example, no doubt, but a drop in the bucket economically on the larger scale. Same could be said for the 911 Porsche and some other “iconic” legacy products (Leica cameras etc.).
The point being, the blanket statement the author makes in his introduction is off-base in the real world of today.