Brian Bonitto, Jamaica Editor - Overseas Publications

Just like car radios, seat belts, air conditioning, sun visors with vanity mirrors, cup holders have become an indispensable afterthought fixture in modern-day models of motor vehicles.

Since the 1950s, US drive-in restaurants and cinemas have sought to make patrons' access to quick bites more convenient and comfy by clipping food trays on to the windows of motor vehicles occupied by patrons.

By the 1980s though, cup holders began making their way into mini-vans as permanent fixtures.

However, a 1992 incident in the US involving a hot-coffee spill highlighted the need for the inclusion of cup holders in automobiles.

Passenger Stella Liebeck severely burnt herself when she tried to sweeten coffee purchased from a McDonald's drive-through. The 79-year-old Albuquerque resident, who had positioned the container with the hot beverage between her knees, in an attempt to sweeten the coffee, was awarded US$2.86 million in damages two years later, but following an appeal, the amount was reduced to US$640,000 and settled out of court.

After-thought

Today, this after-thought has become a feature which, in some cases, determines the sale of a vehicle.

"Yes, it does," said Anthony Phillipps, general manager of service parts at Von's Japanese Imports. "But it depends on the type of vehicle," he continued.

The GM at the Ballater Avenue-based auto dealership said a number of queries about cup holders are received from prospective buyers of multi-purpose vehicles, such as the Toyota Picnic and Toyota Ipsum.

"Within the SUV class, there is the Prado and Fortuner, as well as the Honda Ridgeline pickups," he continued.

Phillipps said the queries come from both male and female drivers. " ... and they want at least four in the one vehicle."

Used-car dealer Kirk Crichton's perspective is different. The managing director of the Hagley Park Road-based Crichton Automotive said his experience is that colour and model of vehicle are the two main deciding factors when his clients seek to buy a vehicle.

"Silver, blue and red are the most sought-after colours, especially blue," Crichton said.

However, Crichton, whose company has traded automobiles for the last 13 years, said he found that "if there is no cup holder in a vehicle, the buyer might be annoyed... but it's not a determining factor," he said.

Design and efficiency

Norma Cohen, consultant at the Ministry of Health, has seen changes in the design and efficiency of the cup holder over the years.

"There was none when I began driving 30-odd years ago," said Cohen, who has driving experience on both Jamaican and US roads.

"In the beginning, we had to buy a gadget and clip it on to the vehicle to hold the container," said Cohen. However, the former nurse said that the attachment came in handy, especially for her long-distance runs.

"Today's cup holders are a necessary evil and much better than those of yesteryear. They are now spill proof," Cohen concluded.

With today's cost of motor vehicles, most owners would raise their containers and drink to this invention!

brian.bonitto@gleanerjm.com