Cup Holder - Automobiles

Automobiles

The development of the drive-in restaurant was a step in the cup holder's development. Servers would attach a tray that hooked over the car's side window, which needed to be left up a little for it to attach to. This gave a temporary table to hold drinks and food while eating in the car. The drive-in restaurant and cinema encouraged the development of built-in tray tables; often, the inside of the glove compartment lid, when folded down, had indentations to hold cups and cans, and were found in cars as early as the 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air. These were sufficient to hold beverages when the car was stopped, but not while in motion.

The later development of the drive-through restaurant encouraged the development of better holders for drinks, and a more fast-paced life and longer commute times made many drivers desire to drink their morning coffee in the car on the way to work. The 1960s saw coffee cups with wide, flat, rubberised bases being sold, which would keep them steady on the dash or console. A little later, aftermarket cup holders began to be sold. These often clipped onto the door windows, although other designs wedge in between the front seats and the center console.

Built-in cup holders began to be available in the 1980s. Minivans were pioneers in their availability, and they still offer the greatest number of them. Over time, automotive cup holders have become larger and more sophisticated, so that they can hold a variety of different cup sizes securely. Many offer spring-loaded holders that clasp the cup securely, no matter how large or small. The development of ever-larger cups by fast-food chains and convenience stores in the United States has proven a challenge to automotive designers; many fast-food chains now offer 44 fl.oz. (1.3 L) drinks. The automobile cup-holder has also driven the development of "car cups" designed to fit within most cars' cup holders; these have a narrower base but flare outward after a short cylindrical distance.

The installation of cup holders in automobiles increased significantly after Stella Liebeck v. McDonald's Corporation, where a 79-year-old woman in Albuquerque, New Mexico ordered hot coffee from a McDonald's restaurant. She then spilled the coffee on her lap and was seriously scalded. She subsequently sued McDonald's in a jury trial. Liebeck was awarded US$2.7 million in damages by the Jury, which was later reduced by the judge to US$640,000. The case was settled privately for an undisclosed sum.

Many people, particularly in the United States, consider the design, location and number of cup holders in a vehicle to be one of the most important attributes influencing their vehicle purchase. Others take the contrary view; that they are irrelevant, and encourage a dangerous practice which distracts drivers from their primary task. Cars designed primarily for the North American market have tended to have larger cup holders, while those for which the primary market is outside of North America tend to have smaller ones.

In Europe, cup holders in cars are not used as much as in the United States and are viewed with amusement or contempt by some motorists. It is actually a legal offence to drink from a cup while driving in many countries. However, as most cars are now built for a global market, including the United States, many cars in Europe do feature cup holders.