• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Forum
  • Design Studio
  • Upholstery Jobs
  • Newsletter
  • Sponsors

The Hog Ring

Auto Upholstery Community

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

How Americans Came to Have Cup Holders

March 19, 2011 By Nadeem Muaddi 2 Comments

In 2004, Slate published an article titled “Drink Me: How Americans Came to Have Cup Holders in Their Cars.” Though the article is seven years old, it still makes a great read – especially if you geek out on the history of cars as much as I do. But even if you don’t, it’s chock full of interesting tidbits that you can use to impress customers. For instance, did you know that part of the reason why Americans began switching to automatic transmissions is because they needed a free hand to hold drinks while driving?

From Slate:

The history of automobile interior design has been one of incorporating nonessential features that subsequently became indispensable. … Today, that feature is the car cup holder—now considered to be so essential that many consumers wonder why it took so long to arrive. […]

Eating and drinking in (parked) cars became popular with the rise of the drive-in restaurant and theater. In a sense, the tray that hooked on to the partially rolled-up window is the antecedent of the automobile cup holder. The tray was typically located on the driver’s door, and back-seat passengers had to put their cokes and malts down on the floor and remember not to kick them over

Eventually, the front-seat passenger was able to open the glove compartment door and sit a glass or cup or two on the door-cum-table. But leaving the drive-in with an unfinished drink usually meant holding the cup gingerly and hoping it didn’t spill. Early attempts by carmakers to add grooved depressions to the glove compartment door—like those on airplane tray tables—checked sliding but not bouncing and sloshing.

In the 1960s…coffee cups shaped like Mercury capsules—with their wider bottoms—provided some stability for drinks placed on the floor or dashboard. But the introduction of easy-open aluminum beverage cans posed a new dilemma for drivers: Where to place the light and slender can when shifting gears? (The American penchant for automatic transmissions is not independent of the national passion for cup holders.)

The first true cup holders were primitive and garish and non-integral to the car’s design. Mostly, they were plastic holsterlike devices that hooked on to the inside of the door, staying in place whether the window was up or down. Any cup holder attached to a car door is an invitation to disaster, of course: Doors are opened, closed, and sometimes slammed with gusto.

In time, cup holders were built into the console between seats and other less mobile parts of vehicles. [more]

Today, cup holders are are big enough to fit Super Big Gulps. Some are even wired to keep drinks hot or cold. And as if that weren’t enough, many cars also come with mini fridges and coolers built right into their cabins.

At this rate, cars may one day feature sushi belts too…

Filed Under: Archive, Interesting Read Tagged With: Auto Trim, Auto Upholstery, Car Interior, Cup Holder

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Steve says

    May 25, 2013 at 2:47 pm

    What automotive manufacture offers a “wired” cold and hot cup holder?
    Thanks Steven
    05/25/2013

    Reply
    • Nadeem Muaddi says

      May 26, 2013 at 5:16 pm

      The Mercedes-Benz M-Class, among other models, features temperature-controlled cup holders.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

THR Sponsors

NC Sewing Machines
Miami Corporation RIght Rail - Ad 2
Top Down Group
Apex Leather
  • GAHH Automotive
  • Douglass Interior Products
  • MasterTech Expo Ad 2
  • Keyston Bros
  • Albright's Supply
  • Premium Auto Fabrics
  • Hyde Leather

THR Favorites

The Hog Ring - What Trim Shops Looked Like in the 1800s

What Trim Shops Looked Like in the 1800s

What did auto trim shops look like 150 years … [more] about What Trim Shops Looked Like in the 1800s

Auto Upholstery - Sid Chavers

10 Questions for Trimmer Sid Chavers

Our quest to bring you exclusive interviews … [more] about 10 Questions for Trimmer Sid Chavers

The Hog Ring - Customs by Vos 1967 Ford Mustang

Customs by Vos Built a Mustang Interior That Will Blow Your Mind

Elite trim shops do more than cut, sew and … [more] about Customs by Vos Built a Mustang Interior That Will Blow Your Mind

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - Mopar Mod Top

Mod Tops: The Softer Side of Mopar

Did you know that in an effort to attract … [more] about Mod Tops: The Softer Side of Mopar

The Hog Ring - Daniel Williams of DJ Designs Talks Shop

Daniel Williams of DJ Designs Talks Shop

In roughly 10 years, Daniel Williams has gone … [more] about Daniel Williams of DJ Designs Talks Shop

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - Audi Leather

Watch Audi Trim a Leather Interior

Audi has designed and manufactured exquisite … [more] about Watch Audi Trim a Leather Interior

Categories

Footer

Recent Articles

  • Nominate a Trimmer to SEMA’s Hall of Fame
  • Listen to Velocity Restorations on NC Shop Talk!
  • Aron Demers to Keynote at MasterTech Expo
  • This Headrest Gun Safe is Going Viral
  • Keyston Bros Now Sells Alcantara for Motorcycles and Boats!

Recent Comments

  • Emma on Want to Learn Upholstery? Enroll at McPherson College
  • Andrew Narzynski on The Crooked Stitcher Accused of Fraud
  • John on The 2019 Detroit Book is Now Available
  • bob niles on 5 Celebrities Who Can Upholster
  • Jasa Percetakan Jakarta on 10 Cool Custom Headliners on Instagram

Advertise With Us!

We're always looking for companies to collaborate with. Watch this short video about the benefits of sponsorship and then email us to say hi.
anal porno bangbros rus porno yaşlı porno konulu porno olgun porno porno izle sarışın porno bakire sex 69 porno

Copyright © 2023 · Magazine Pro On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in