I believe if the oil is changed every 2,000 miles there is no need for the filter except for cosmetic looks or providing a cool factor.
My father bought a new '58 Chevy Yeoman wagon with two options, an oil filter and a radio. I believe the deal was to change oil every 500 miles.
However, his car came with a warranty so in the unlikely event that the engine screwed up from something left inside during the manufacturing process it would have been fixed free.
The only insurance I have is the reputation of my builder and a filter that will catch every speck before it goes into my engine.
