They were always intended to be used and abused, and of course modified to best suit the purpose for which they were intended.
I find the old battered ones that have been modified from original to suit owner preference, do a job or whatever to be much more interesting than ones that have been over restored, generally because there's more of a story to them than 'I threw a lot of time and or money at it'.
There's definitely a place for smart restored examples, although it's always much nicer to see the ones that have been looked after and just kept plodding on, showing off their age and that they've been used.
The opinion voiced by Mr Craddock on car SOS 'you want to put it back to original because it's worth more' or some such also highlights that they're now being seen more as collectors classics than something to be used and enjoyed.
A bit sad really.