By Gail Marsh
The glove compartment, a standard feature in modern vehicles, has a history as intriguing as the items it holds.
The origin of the glove compartment dates back to the early 20th century when automobiles were open to the elements. Back then, drivers relied on gloves to protect their hands from the cold and to improve their grip on the steering wheel.
Earliest beginnings
In 1900, the Packard Motor Car Company introduced a storage box in their vehicles, replacing the traditional leather dashboard used in horse-drawn carriages. This compartment provided a convenient place for drivers to store personal items, including their essential driving gloves.
The box evolves
As automobiles evolved, so did the glove compartment. By the 1930s, it became a standard feature in most cars, often equipped with a latch or lock for added security.
Enhancements
Over the years, manufacturers introduced various enhancements to the glove box. For instance, the 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham featured a glove compartment equipped with a cocktail set. It included stainless-steel shot glasses held in place by a magnetic strip. (So much for not drinking while driving!)
Various names
In some regions, the glove compartment is known by different names. In England and parts of the U.S. Rocky Mountain states, it’s referred to as the “jockey box.” Other names are glovebox, torpedo box, and cubby hole.
What about you?
Today, while the necessity for driving gloves has diminished, the glove compartment remains a versatile storage space.
I remember when the door to the glove compartment folded down to reveal indentations to hold cups. Some vehicles feature temperature-controlled glove compartments, allowing drivers to keep beverages cool during their journeys.
The glove compartment’s journey from a simple storage box for gloves to a multifunctional space reflects the broader evolution of automotive design and the changing needs of drivers over the past century.
What’s inside your glove compartment?
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RVDT2815
Handy-cap hanger, Tums, Keys to my kids homes
We also keep Tylenol/Advil, Tums and Dramamine. Got to be prepared!
We have a good quality multi tool as well as a tire pressure Gauge.
Fast food ketchup packets. Sigh.
Trailer keys, valve stem tightener, tire pressure gauge, national park pass, park reservations, umbrella.
Most cars now have the traditional glove box, storage under the center arm rest and even cup holders and storage in the door panels.
My wife’s 2013 Sportage even had a place in the glove box that would chill a bottle of water when the AC was on.
It was a good idea. Of course quit doing it.
On my ’15 Silverado, there is storage in the arm rest, but if you lift the armrest, there is another hidden “locking” compartment under it.
PS, I forgot the the truck had two doors on the glove box. One for smaller items, pencils, pens and the EZ pass. And one for larger things like the manual, tire gauge, maps and even “gloves”.
Tire pressure gauge
Mints, napkins
Eyeglass cleaner & cloth, pen, tire pressure gauge and maintenance and repair statements.
With the Ram I have two glove boxes, then the two storages between the seats, doors, the list goes on. But to reach the gloveboxes on the passenger side you might find a couple of straws in one of them the other empty. In my teen years and early 20s you’d find tools, comb, electrical tape, shotgun shells and other ammo. Looked like a junk drawer. Those were the days and you could remember what was in there today I’m guessing what could be in there.
I got the same.
Service history & invoices.
small screwdrivers (flat head, Phillips head, and the one for changing light bulbs) and a telescopic back scratcher
Umbrella. Spare eye glasses.
We keep Sun Glasses and Protein Bars in there. The Protein Bars are the type that will withstand the summer heat and the below Zero Temperatures in Michigan.
I think it has something to do with the vehicle you drive. Our F150 has lots of spaces to stick stuff. The doors hold work gloves, umbrellas, hand sanitizer. The center console holds chargers, all the keys to the hitch locks, RV spare keys, and tons of other stuff. The glove box you are referring to holds service records and receipts, registration, insurance and owners manual. It is almost embarrassing all the nonsense stuff we put in those spaces.
in the Other category: tire pressure gauge and spare sunglasses.
Tire gauge. Tire valve stem caps and valve stem core tool. Infrared thermometer.
Additional items are:
Real maps, and emergency contact info.8
We have 2 glove compartments one regular one and in the dash. The lower one has insurance in registration and the upper one in dash has tissue and napkins.. 3500 ram truck
Tire pressure gauge and multi tool.
We keep a small lunch sized bag of Wurthers candies in the glove box. Whenever I’m driving and feel myself getting inattentive (usually happens before I get drowsy) I pop one in my mouth and it sharpens me up.
One additional thing in my glove compartment is a burp bag (for motion sickness).
Owners manuals are now as thick as small phone books and ours no longer fit in the glove box. Tire pressure guauge added to legal documents and insurance cards.
A Leatherman
Glove compartments have gotten so small over the years that the only thing that fits in mine is the owner’s manual. I have put spare fuses in there but that’s about all the room there is. I remember when you could put a LOT of stuff in a glove compartment.
We have OTC medicines, sunglasses and beverage straws plus possibly a couple of miscellaneous items. Owners manual, tire pressure gauge and tire minder stuff go in the center console.
My other vote is all maintenance papers.
My old e350 RV doesn’t have one.
Sunglasses, pain reliever, glasses cleaning cloths/wipes. One of our vehicles has a short cord for the USB drive for our music drive in the upper glove box.
I had to go look. There is a pair of lightweight cloth glove (age unknown) a US map, a couple of pencils, a pen that doesn’t work, small packet of tissue, small packet of toilet tissue (used to get at Target in the travel section) and a flashlight that has corroded batteries. There are several ketchup and mayonnaise packets and a couple of napkins. It looks like I’ll be cleaning and restocking the glove box so we can forget about all the stuff in it..
And a wound packing kit and a pair of binoculars
Also notebook, pencils, hand sanitizer, and sometimes a .22 pistol.
Other: sunglasses, seldom used maps
Our truck, a 2015 Ram with twin captains chairs, has two glove compartments and two center console compartments in addition to both door pockets. About the only thing we don’t have in any of those is a kitchen sink.
Our glove department holds my glass cleaning products, mini sewing kit, tire pressure gauge and masks besides paperwork and tissues!
Chopsticks.
No glove box in my RV!
Glove box extras: letter opener, pens, pencils, gasoline log book, maps, permits, probably more!
Tire gauge and National Park pass
Maps. GPS works great if you’re on major highways but if you’re on county roads forest service etc you need a larger picture than a phone screen. You have to magnify the screen so much to see the secondary and smaller roads you have to scroll dozens of screens to see where you are going.
Tire pressure gauge.
I keep all maintenance records in the glovebox as well as owner’s manual, proof of insurance and registration.
Flashlights are so inferior compared to headlamps. If you have a situation calling for light – a headlamp is so much better. It leaves both hands free for accomplishing whatever task you need to do.
Pocket knife, tape measure, multi-tool, spare glasses, sewing kit
I also have spare fuses in the glove box.
My husband’s sunglasses. Everything else is in the center console.