Do You Remember What This Was In Your Car?
If you can identify this old-school item, you might realize you’re getting a bit older—or at least your car is. These little features became a staple in most vehicles starting in the 1950s, yet by the late 1990s and early 2000s, they had almost completely disappeared.
Believe it or not, we’re talking about the built-in car ashtray, once an everyday convenience for smokers, now a relic of the past.
A Look Back at the Car Ashtray: What It Was and Why It Vanished
From the 1950s onward, automakers included ashtrays as standard—or at least optional—equipment in almost every car. They were typically embedded into the dashboard or center console and designed for ease of use and safe stowing of cigarette ashes.
However, by the 1990s, the built-in ashtray started disappearing—and for very good reasons. Pressures mounted from public health advocates including the Surgeon General, alongside changing attitudes toward smoking. At the same time, car interiors were being redesigned to accommodate new electronics—like power windows and advanced locking systems. The shift in priorities marked the beginning of the end for the ashtray.
One telling moment came in 1996, when Chrysler produced their final model with a built-in ashtray—a symbolic exit served cold by evolving standards and consumer sentiment Best Recipes.
Still, some people were—and still are—biting back against the loss. For them, the ashtray wasn’t just a tray; it was “handy” and practical.
The “Smoker’s Package” and Why It’s Never Quite the Same
For drivers who continued smoking, car manufacturers introduced what was informally known as the “smoker’s package.” Instead of a built-in ashtray, a portable unit would slide into the cup holder. Practical enough—but it’s not quite as elegant as the classic flip-up model.
Many users point out that although functional, these replacements never quite had the same sleek integration or nostalgic feel Best Recipes.
What Drives Nostalgia for the Ashtray?
- Convenience: Before disposable cups and ubiquitous trash cans, ashtrays offered a tidy place to put ashes without dirtying the car.
- Design: Many featured convenient flip-up mechanisms or hidden compartments—small design details that car enthusiasts still miss.
- Tangible memory: More than a utility item, the ashtray evokes a bygone era—road trips, shared smoke breaks, that particular scent after a long drive.
“As you rummage through your center console,” the original post hints, “see if you can spot the ghostly outline of where that handy little ashtray once lived” Best Recipes+2allrecipes.com+2.
What’s Replaced the Ashtray—and Is It an Improvement?
As smoking declined and health campaigns intensified, automakers pivoted to make interiors cleaner, safer, and more versatile. As electronics multiplied, every inch of console space became valuable, especially for:
- Cup holders
- USB or 12V charging ports
- Storage for devices and personal effects
- Integrated infotainment systems
In most modern cars, these features leave no room for decidedly retro items like ashtrays. That said, if you’re among the few who still smoke, you’ll likely be using a slide-in ashtray—which may get the job done, but lacks the charm and character of the originals.
Timeline: From Ashtray to Auxiliary Port
- 1950s–1980s: Built-in ashtrays are ubiquitous, considered a standard convenience.
- 1990s: Smoking rates decline; health guidelines begin impacting vehicle design.
- 1996: Chrysler stops including factory ashtrays—an eventual turning point.
- Late 1990s–2000s: Automakers begin replacing ashtrays with compartments for electronics or shifting toward cleaner designs without accessories once deemed essential.
Still Around in Spirit?
Though nearly vanished from new car models, traces of the ashtray live on in used vehicles, classic car restorations, and nostalgia-sharing communities. Car lovers often lament, “You don’t just find 1950s pickups with built-in ashtrays anymore,” reminding us that some design details—no matter how small—tap directly into memory lanes.
Final Thoughts
That little built-in ashtray, once part of every car’s identity and later stripped away in favor of health-conscious and tech-forward design, serves as a subtle marker of how rapidly attitudes and priorities evolve.
“If you still smoke, you probably paid for a ‘smoker’s package,’” the original author notes—practical, but hardly nostalgic Best Recipes.
So next time your car’s console feels suspiciously empty, consider this: you’re staring into a space once reserved for ash and reflection—one we no longer frequent, but many still vividly remember.