Yes, there are some old lenses out there that give a wonderful quality, this Nikkor 50mm being one of them. I think there's also a 1:1.2 aperture model available that's still highly coveted by photographers. I wonder what it is about the "old glass".
Oh, now you've just helped me spawn another idea. Perhaps I'll take identical photos with the Nikon kit lens and the Nikkor for a side by side comparison. Could make for a fun little post.