• 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

Flashback: The Shift Knob Ashtray

April 20, 2016 By Nadeem Muaddi 1 Comment

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - Ash Tray Gear Shift Knob

With the exception of some luxury vehicles and optional “smoker’s packages,” you’d be hard pressed to find any new car equipped with an ashtray. However, things weren’t always that way. In fact, for most of automotive history, ashtrays (and lighters) were standard fare in vehicle cabins. Some automakers and aftermarket manufacturers even went to great lengths to come up with new and innovative ways to hide them in plain view.

Case in point, check out this ashtray hidden in the knob of a gear shifter. It was written about in the December 1929 issue of Popular Mechanics.

The article reads:

An ash receiver at the driver’s finger tips has been invented by an automotive manufacturer to be attached to the gear shift lever, replacing the gear shift ball. The receiver is made of heavy brass and nickel and enameled in assorted colors. The novelty is constructed to withstand hard usage, be useful, and add a colorful touch to the car equipment.

Below is a copy of the original article, dug up by history blog Modern Mechanix:

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - Ash Tray Gear Shift Knob

The shift knob ashtray looked cool, but whether or not it was practical is up for debate. It was certainly too small to accommodate chain smokers, and its awkward placement likely caused many drivers to burn their hands on smoldering cigarette butts while shifting gears.

It’s also unlikely that any automaker will revive in-car ashtrays, as smoking rates have significantly declined since the 1920s and there’s no longer a high demand for them. In fact, some auto trimmers have taken to repurposing old ashtrays in classic cars to mask modern devices, such as radio controls.

For more cool articles about old interior features, check out The Hog Ring‘s “Industry History” section.

Filed Under: Archive, Industry History Tagged With: Auto Trim, Auto Upholstery, Car Interior, Shift Knob, Vehicle Ashtray

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. john says

    June 8, 2016 at 12:29 am

    I have knob like this in an original unrestored 1929 whippet in storage since 1947.
    it says no-burn patent pending Chicago usa.anybody have any backround info on this brasnd
    thx

    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
  • Hyde Leather
  • Albright's Supply
  • MasterTech Expo Ad 2
  • Douglass Interior Products
  • Moore & Giles Ad 1
  • GAHH Automotive
  • Premium Auto Fabrics
  • Keyston Bros

THR Favorites

10 Duct Tape DIY Upholstery Disasters

Though duct tape can fix a lot of things, … [more] about 10 Duct Tape DIY Upholstery Disasters

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - Molded Automotive Carpet

How Molded Vehicle Carpets are Made

Have you ever wondered how automotive carpet … [more] about How Molded Vehicle Carpets are Made

The Hog Ring - How to make a french seam lay flat

How to Make a French Seam Lay Flat

Did you ever wonder how automakers make … [more] about How to Make a French Seam Lay Flat

How Did You Learn Auto Upholstery?

Stories about how individual auto trimmers … [more] about How Did You Learn Auto Upholstery?

The Hog Ring - Indonesian Trimmers are Riding with Style

Indonesian Trimmers are ‘Riding with Style’

MBtech, an Indonesian supplier of synthetic … [more] about Indonesian Trimmers are ‘Riding with Style’

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - Customs by Vos

Customs by Vos Pioneers Double Topstitch

In the craft of auto upholstery, where … [more] about Customs by Vos Pioneers Double Topstitch

Categories

Footer

Recent Articles

  • Premium Auto Fabrics is Giving Away Hog Ring T-Shirts!
  • Classic Upholstery Won Big at the Rick Ross Car Show
  • Moore & Giles Sponsors The Hog Ring!
  • Trimmer Vincent Robert Mikla Dies at 70
  • Nominate a Trimmer to SEMA’s Hall of Fame

Recent Comments

  • Thomas Wright on Bentley Looks to Mississippi for Veneers
  • Joe payton on Moore & Giles Sponsors The Hog Ring!
  • Tempat Cetak Official on 6 Ways to Transform Plastic into Chrome
  • Christie Howell on Transition from Furniture to Auto Upholstery
  • Andrew Narzynski on The Crooked Stitcher Accused of Fraud

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