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

As a child, I can remember in a thunderstorm you could hear the buzz in the radio just before a lightening strike.
I was always terrified the lightening bolt would find our antenna. Not all the other antennas, just ours. And we would die from the electrical voltage going through the car.
Later I heard that the rubber tires would save your butt if you stayed in the car.