Patent application reveals the cup holder was invented in 1950 -
30 years BEFORE they were built into every car - First patent
for a cup holder was filed in the U.S. in February 1950 - But it
wasn't until the Eighties that car makers included them as
standard By Damien Gayle They are an essential feature of cars
that we often take for granted, so it might come as a surprise
that cup holders took more than 30 years to catch on after they
were first invented. Although the potentially disastrous effects
of spilling scalding hot coffee on to your lap as you hurtle
down the motorway at 90mph are obvious to anyone, it wasn't
until the Eighties that car makers began to include them as
standard. In fact, food blog Bon Appetit reports, designers in
the early days of car production worked under the assumption
that drivers would actually take a break from their journeys to
eat and drink. The site has published a comprehensive history of
the cup-holder dating back to the original patent by its
inventor, Jack Fazakerley o