This minivan saved Chrysler and introduced cup holders to America

Cup holders might seem like a basic feature today, but there was a time when having a place to stash your soda was a luxury, not a guarantee, until Chrysler and its new minivan came along

That started to change in 1983, when a humble vehicle rolled off the line and into American driveways: the Chrysler minivan.

Known officially as the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager, this boxy minivan did more than rescue a struggling automaker.

It quietly kicked off a cup holder revolution, earning it a place in drivers’ hearts.

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Chrysler made cup holders a standard feature

Chrysler, teetering on the edge of bankruptcy in the early 1980s, needed a hit.

They bet big on the minivan, a totally new category that combined the comfort of a car with the space of a van.

And part of its genius was acknowledging how real people actually used their vehicles.

Parents weren’t looking for race cars; they needed a rolling living room with room for kids, snacks, and coffee.

Enter the integrated cup holder.

The early versions were simple: plastic indents molded into the dash or console.

But they worked, and finally, there was a spot for your Big Gulp that didn’t require an aftermarket chain-linked tray or a death grip at every stop sign.

The Chrysler minivan wasn’t the first car to offer cup holders in some form, but it was the first to make them feel standard, not special.

And people noticed. Soon, cup holders were a feature buyers demanded, especially in family vehicles.

Car interiors will never be the same

By the 1990s, they were everywhere, expanding in number and design, with adjustable grips, retractable trays, and enough capacity to handle a carpool’s worth of beverages.

It’s no exaggeration to say that cup holders became one of the most important – and judged – parts of any car interior.

Today’s cars can have a dozen or more cup holders, from seat backs to third-row armrests.

But it all traces back to Chrysler’s daring, oddly shaped minivan and its quiet attention to the details of everyday life.

Of course, as universal as they are, not all cars come with cup holders; if you want one in a Lamborghini Huracán Evo, you’ll need to pay $1,000 for the privilege.

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