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

The Hog Ring

Auto Upholstery Community

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Why Do We Call It a ‘Dashboard’?

November 25, 2012 By Nadeem Muaddi 15 Comments

Like most people, you probably use the terms “dashboard” and “instrument panel” interchangeably without giving much thought to where the two words come from. However, their origins are quite interesting and definitely something every auto trimmer should know.

The word “dashboard” was originally used to describe the wooden board carriage makers attached to the front of carriages to prevent mud and rocks from being splashed (or “dashed”) onto drivers and their passengers by the horses that pulled them about. In essence, dashboards served as mud flaps for horses’ hooves.

While the term “dashboard” didn’t work its way into popular English until the 1800’s, the concept of a “dashboard” existed long before then. In fact, Mesopotamian chariots dating as far back as 3,000 BC employed similar guards against mud and rocks.

It wasn’t until the early 1900’s – when carriages became dependent on motors instead of horses – that “dashboards” were repurposed to house vehicle instruments, like speedometers and gas gauges.

Shortly after, the word “carriage” was shortened to “car”; the term “instrument panel” replaced “dashboard”; and windshields were developed to guard drivers and passengers from light debris.

Still, the term “dashboard” never quite disappeared.

Filed Under: Archive, Industry History, Interesting Read Tagged With: Auto Trim, Auto Upholstery, Car Interior, Dashboard, Etymology

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Gjudd says

    November 26, 2012 at 9:11 pm

    Learn something new every day!

    Reply
    • Nadeem Muaddi says

      November 26, 2012 at 10:34 pm

      Glad you enjoyed it. The etymology of words really fascinates me.

      Reply
    • Chassidy says

      August 8, 2017 at 2:58 pm

      Learned something new today. Very interesting… Thank u!

      Reply
      • CHUCK says

        February 5, 2021 at 9:23 am

        I refer to the top of the “instrument panel” as the “dash” or the “dashboard”, as in “just put your gloves on the dash”. I seem never to use the term “instrument panel”.

        Reply
  2. acq says

    May 30, 2014 at 4:09 pm

    Interesting! Thanks

    Reply
  3. R. T. Watson says

    April 30, 2015 at 6:41 am

    I don’t think I have ever used the words instrument panel. When I hear them I think of an airplane. I have always used the word dashboard to mean just the top area next to the bottom of the window and protruding several inches towards the driver and/or passenger(s). I’m sure you are correct, but I think I grew up with the usage I have described.

    Reply
  4. Cort Johnson says

    March 18, 2017 at 5:45 pm

    Wow…fascinating how some words came about. Thanks!

    Reply
  5. sharyn wisdom says

    March 19, 2017 at 8:07 pm

    i suspected as much but having it as the “puzzler” on the click and clack brothers radio show my curiosity was peaked

    Reply
    • Stevie says

      April 7, 2018 at 3:11 pm

      Piqued.

      Reply
  6. J P Chalmers says

    February 16, 2018 at 12:49 pm

    The reason I looked this up was due to the lyrics in the song The Surrey with the Fringe on Top (Oaklahoma). Therein part of a lyric is – ‘The dashboard is genuine leather’.

    Reply
  7. Diego Montoya says

    September 20, 2019 at 5:29 pm

    When I was a kid, the storage space in a dashboard was called a ‘dash box’ by regular folks and the ‘glove compartment’ by those more sophisticated. Wonder how many people carry gloves today.

    Reply
    • wimpie says

      May 19, 2020 at 4:30 pm

      Today you can put anything in it. Candy, guns, condoms…..

      Reply
  8. mcafee.com/activate says

    November 29, 2019 at 1:44 pm

    Login into mcafee.com/activate for Mcafee antivirus download, installation, and activation. You can follow the steps easily to activate the Mcafee antivirus program in the right ways.

    Reply
  9. Tim c says

    April 16, 2020 at 1:22 pm

    Remember the Meatloaf song, “paradise by the DASHBOARD light??

    A ROCK song too!……..lol

    Reply
  10. Amram says

    February 25, 2021 at 4:16 am

    Interesting, thank you

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

Primary Sidebar

THR Sponsors

Haartz Right Rail Ad - 10
NC Sewing Machines
Miami Corporation
Top Down Group
  • Kee Auto Top
  • Albright's Supply
  • GAHH Automotive
  • Hyde Leather
  • Douglass Interior Products

THR Favorites

The Hog Ring - Meet Sean Scott of Inspire Automotive

Meet Sean Scott of Inspire Automotive

Sean Scott of Inspire Automotive has only … [more] about Meet Sean Scott of Inspire Automotive

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - JS Custom Upholstery

Shop Profile: JS Custom Interiors

In Just 10 years, JS Custom Interiors of Salt … [more] about Shop Profile: JS Custom Interiors

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

Why Are Detroit Books So Hard to Find?

One of the questions that we often hear auto … [more] about Why Are Detroit Books So Hard to Find?

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - VW Bus

JNG Creations 1961 VW Bus Resto-Rod

After converting a 1961 Volkswagen single-cab … [more] about JNG Creations 1961 VW Bus Resto-Rod

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - 2013 Chevrolet Camaro Vinyl Top

2013 Chevrolet Camaro Rocks the Vinyl Top

In September, we reported on a new trend in … [more] about 2013 Chevrolet Camaro Rocks the Vinyl Top

Categories

Footer

Recent Articles

  • How to Cut Costs, Not Quality
  • Albright’s Ships Upholstery Supplies for Free
  • Help Trimmers Impacted by Winter Storms
  • This Rolls-Royce Features Rare Koa Wood Veneers
  • Nominate a Trimmer to SEMA’s Hall of Fame

Recent Comments

  • Michael on Carlex Design Introduces Custom Key Fobs
  • Dan Barie on 5 Reasons Today’s Soft Tops are Better than Your Dad’s
  • K Mac on 5 Harbor Freight Tools that Don’t Suck
  • Nadeem Muaddi on It’s a Good Time to Reinvent Your Trim Shop
  • Dave W on Flashback: Ford’s ‘Wrist Twist’ Steering

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 © 2021 · THR New Media, LLC · WordPress · Log in