why did older cars have such long antennae when newer cars either don’t have one at all or a tiny nub?

Question

why did older cars have such long antennae when newer cars either don’t have one at all or a tiny nub?

In: 568

Answer 1

Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

Having to unscrew the antenna before going through the car wash (and then rushing to put it back on afterwards) was a staple of car ownership for my entire childhood and young adult life.

I can’t even exactly remember when we no longer needed to do it. It’s been a long time, though.