Believe it or not, car antennas were once a luxury. Car antennas, introduced to the public as an option in the 1930s, were a high-class status symbol. Not only did you drive a vehicle, but you also drove one in which you could listen to music.
Today, we hardly put a second thought (much less a first thought) into our car’s antenna because more of us are streaming music than playing the radio, but still! While car antennas aren’t as jaw-dropping today as they were 100 years ago, their history is important (and fascinating). Here’s the evolution of the car antenna: what you need to know.
Introducing AM Reception
In the 1930s, most radio stations used the AM band. Because of this, radios required an antenna with a ferrous core receiver. The coolest thing? Because there wasn’t much competition or radio noise, listeners could pick up a station from a long distance without needing an external receiver.
The Transition to FM
Towards the 1940s, many radio stations transitioned to FM. Car antennas followed: now, they were vertical structures fabricated from steel or alloy. Automotive antennas sat bolted on the vehicle’s exterior, and different car manufacturers placed the antenna in other locations.
The Antenna Is Beautified
As technology improved, so did car design. And, just as today, people expected improvements in automotive design and construction every year. Automakers kept up with the demand by improving the car antenna’s appearance. This often meant shrinking the external antenna as compactly as possible. Luxury automakers tried to hide the external antenna altogether.
In the 1970s, General Motors transformed the design by creating a T-shaped antenna. These were expensive to repair or replace, so they didn’t last long. The 1980s offered two main antennas: standard metal antennas in economy cars and powered antennas in luxury models.
Satellite Radio Antennae
Many modern vehicles have AM, FM, and satellite radio stations. While some cars still have external metal antennas, many have small, black, plastic antenna boxes or shark fin-style antennas. An advanced process called low-pressure overmolding creates these antennas.
Because so many people are streaming music these days, the antenna as we know it may disappear altogether. But with the evolution of the car antenna, who knows! That’s up to the future to decide.
