Lug nut torque on older cars

Not to reignite the "is it 89 or 90 ft-lb" for VW's...

I was reading an article about left-handed versus right handed lug nuts; one commentator claimed to be a mechanic back in the day. He said that lug nuts back then were tightened to something like 50 ft-lb, instead of today's 90 ft-lb.

http://www.designnews.com/blog/Made_by_Monkeys/40520-Which_Way_to_Turn_Around_Monkeys_.php

Is that true?

Our '65 Barracuda is RH & LH wheel studs. I do like the drum brake heat theory.

Materials such as steel and additives are better today than back then.

speeds were lower on average then also.

Although the '65 would go up Mt. Washington down is another thing....................

I could understand the left / right question if it pertained to the hub (rotating) to axle (not rotating), and the arguments using precession, and normal direction and all, Rudge hubs, and wagon wheel nuts yadda-yadda,
but wheel bolts to brake drums/rotors? There's no relative motion between them and absolutely zero justification for the opposite thread on one side.
The hub bearing retaining nuts/bolts aren't left / right, and if anything should be, these would be it.

Bicycle pedals are left / right threaded, but the crank bearing shell halves may be, or may not be, depending if it is threaded to the prevailing Swiss, Italian, French or British practice.

So, to add some VW content:
Why are the B4 door handle retaining screws on the right side of the car, left hand threaded?