It is my sincere hope that you are not insinuating that one of the worlds 2 greatest soaps was deliberately made inferior! If so, I'm glad I chose to do business with someone who still believes in 'product improvement'.
My main staple is the Central American red bean, frijol rojo de seda. They look pretty much like black beans, except for the black part. They're the centerpiece of my breakfast with very few exceptions. Refried, of course. With a little cheese and/or sour cream, and tortillas to mop them up. My maw in law in Honduras even makes flour tortillas (baleadas) from scratch in the morning. One of the highlights of visiting.
I've owned both a '72 Mach 1 with a 351 Cleveland (5.8L for you youngsters) and '90's model Mustang. The newer one was so forgettable that I don't recall what year or motor. Both Fords, but not the same machine. If someone with a Mass Spectrometer were to make it possible to recreate vintage Williams I suspect it would sell very well. Sometimes reformulation happens because of Government Regulations or economic concerns (usually negatively), occasionally at the behest of customers seeking a tweak on an existing product (hopefully positive outcome). Change just for the sake of change? There are times where paying a little more can make a difference.