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The other issue with modern tyres vs old ones is the volume. Casings now are generally the widest part of the tyre whereas on older tyres the widest point was usually the tread which stuck out quite a bit beyond the casing. Therefore a modern tyre is for example 2" wide and 2" tall, whereas an old tyre would be 1.6" wide at the casing, 2" wide at the outside of the tread but, crucially for clearance on old forks, only 1.6" tall. A 2" tyre these days is the equivalent of an old 2.2" tyre in height, or maybe even worse. It's one of the reasons modern gravel bikes are so much more stable than old 90's MTB's even though they're outwardly similar. Bigger volume tyres equal lower pressures and more grip. Old stuff is usually as much if not more constrained by height as much as width when it comes to clearance.
