I believe they did it to increase the mileage between replacement, messed that idea right up.
My VW has a wet drive belt for the oil pump. I didn't know this when I changed the cam belt a couple of years ago and I'm hearing stories of them coming apart and blocking the oil strainer just like the rest.
I've recently got a Golf diesel engine apart as the cam belt died. They're a "modular engine" So the cam box has to be replaced complete with cams and some of the lobes have moved on the shafts.
As there were parts broken up top and many missing I had the sump off and that belt looked absolutely fine at 88,000 miles. Doesn't stop me worrying about mine though.