Presumably so you don't have to burn off a gallon of gas idling while you retract the antenna after you park the car. Another benefit is that by shutting off the car first (and therefore the radio with it), you don't have to hear the radio signal turn into painful static as you lower the antenna. On later Mopars with automatic power antennas (discontinued after 1995), they worked similarly: The radio shut off when you turned the car off, but the antenna motor still had power so it could retract by itself with the key off. Chris in LA 67 Crown 78 NYB Salon > The power antenna is supposed to work without the key. > Not exactly sure why this is, but it is wired correctly to do that. Dick Benjamin