That has not always been the case. In the seventies, Torx tools were tough to find and expen$ive when you found them.

As one who was around long before Torx bolts came into vogue I think I can offer a different perspective.

When Torx fasteners came along, they were made available to all sorts of manufacturers at literally a give away price. In service manuals or ANYWHERE that you saw the name Torx, it had the registered trademark logo. The only people that could legally make and sell the tools had to do so under license to the Torx people.

These people made a FORTUNE by creating demand for an item (the Torx tools) that NO ONE except themselves could legally supply.

In the beginning these were only found on non automotive items, such as electronics, computers and such, but once they got the car makers signed on it was a steady trip to the bank.

They followed the Xerox business model. When Xerox came out with the photocopier, they would not sell the machines, they would only lease them and at a reasonable price. In the beginning, however, the people who leased the machines, signed an exclusive contract so that toner and paper could only be purchased from Xerox.

Torx fasteners in the proper application do provide a better fastener/tool combination, than many other choices. There are SOME applications, where a bolt can get frozen in place where they are NOT good choices. Anywhere near exhaust components is a good example of this. These are usually difficult to access and once the center of the hole is stripped out, the only alternative is grinding, drilling, ease outs, etc.