Would you say that the demand for low price basic models had taken the lions share of the sales during the 20th century ?
To draw a parallel, the firm who could make an ever lasting stay sharp razor blade would probably only sell one to each person who needed one . What would they do then ? I assume they'd need to put a hefty price tag on that product or it just wouldn't pay.
That's off on a tangent from the original post but I wondered if a similar scenario contributed to the decline of the Brit gun industry.
There may be more guns on farms than in wealthier people's cabinets , while the wealthy may climb over a stack of beautifully balanced well made Belgian guns to pick a gun with a famous household name, did the market for a cheaper basic and solid gun which would probably see its owner out take over the world market ?

Rust never sleeps !