• 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 to Nadeem Muaddi Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.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

Primary Sidebar

THR Sponsors

Haartz Right Rail Ad - 12
NC Sewing Machines
Miami Corporation
Top Down Group
Apex Leather
  • Douglass Interior Products
  • Keyston Bros
  • GAHH Automotive
  • Hyde Leather
  • Albright's Supply

THR Favorites

Start Charging What You’re Worth

It’s time to stop preparing estimates with … [more] about Start Charging What You’re Worth

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - Custom Headliner

10 Cool Custom Headliners on Instagram

For many auto upholstery shops, headliner … [more] about 10 Cool Custom Headliners on Instagram

The Hog Ring - Roxan Jane of Range Needlework

Meet Roxan Jane of Range Needlework

Thanks to her beautifully crafted motorcycle … [more] about Meet Roxan Jane of Range Needlework

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - Brent Parker Motor Trimming

Lambo Stitching with Brent Parker 1

On the outskirts of Sydney, Australia, in the … [more] about Lambo Stitching with Brent Parker 1

Auto Upholstery

No Limits with Programmable Sewing

We feature a lot of unique pleat designs on … [more] about No Limits with Programmable Sewing

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - Juki Sewing Machine

How Does a Sewing Machine Work?

You know how to work a sewing machine, but do … [more] about How Does a Sewing Machine Work?

Categories

Footer

Recent Articles

  • Industry Pros Defend Leather at AutoTech: Detroit
  • Trimmer Steven Roger Bergman Dies at 68
  • English Trimmers on Strike Over Low Wages
  • Apex Ultra Square Weave Carpet is Here!
  • Trimmer Albert James Breda Sr Dies at 84

Recent Comments

  • Michael on Sewn Tight Custom Interiors’ Secret to an Organized Shop
  • Fernand Samsa on Nominate a Pro for SEMA Person of the Year
  • Bob Kalb on Custom Hot Rod Armrests Made to Order
  • Kaliesha on Keyston Bros is Giving Away a Consew Sewing Machine
  • Salvador hueramo on Keyston Bros is Giving Away a Consew Sewing Machine

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 © 2022 · Magazine Pro On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in