A cup holder in automobiles is not a new concept; in fact we have become so used to them in our cars that imagining a drive without them would leave a lot to desire. But this was not always the case. There was a time when they were considered just another non-essential accessory for mere decorative purposes.
To be fair to early automotive creators, addition of something like this could not have entered their minds. The suspension systems were crude by today?s standards and combined with the not-so-smooth road conditions, the thought of sipping a cola while driving was too far-fetched to be taken seriously.
The necessity of cup holders first arose with the increase in popularity of drive-in restaurants and theatres. Initially they were mere temporary arrangements in form of trays hooked on to the side windows of cars. Then someone had the brainwave of modifying the lids of glove compartments so they can balance the beverage cups in the indentations provided in the lid. Although this solved the problem for parked vehicles, the dream of quenching the thirst with a cold soda on a hot desert road remained just that; a dream. These make shift arrangements prevented the sliding of cups but still in a moving car, liquid spilled frequently.
The initial cup holders were anything but seamless with the automobile?s interior design. They were devices attached to the inside of car doors which invited the obvious risk of occasional over enthused slamming of doors. Over time however, automotive cup holders have become more sophisticated and convenient with the capacity to hold securely cups of various sizes. A popular design is to employ spring-loaded holders that clasp the cup regardless of its size.
The development path of cup holders has not been constant the world over. European cars were pretty late to catch on to the cup holder mania. The only reason is the stark difference of culture. Drive-ins, the prime catalyst for cup holder development never became that popular in Europe. Of course with today?s shrinking world and globalized markets which cater to international clientele such differences have been reduced in cars.
The development of cup holder design has been an ongoing process and there is still scope for improvement. More often than not the supremacy of a design is a subjective matter but we can safely say that creative think tanks of automobile giants would continue to churn surprises for the masses.