When Did Automakers Start Offering A Smokers Package Instead Of The Lighter And Ashtray?

Andrey Sayfutdinov/Getty Images

We whitethorn person a committee connected purchases made from links.

People person been smoking cigarettes since the 19th century, and cars person had ashtrays and push-to-heat lighters seemingly since forever. In fact, location was a clip erstwhile automakers installed ashtrays for each occupant, and President Franklin Roosevelt had a 1938 Ford that groovily dispensed lit cigarettes. 

But things started changing in the 1950s, erstwhile doctors started looking into smoking's broadside effects and information concerns, which led to nan diminution of cigaret use. Increasing consciousness of nan wellness dangers of smoking baccy showed successful figures from nan Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which reported that conscionable 11.6% of U.S. adults smoked cigarettes successful 2022, a noticeable diminution from 24.7% successful 1997, and 42.4% 3 decades earlier that, successful 1965.

The alteration successful baccy usage has led to nan phasing retired of ashtrays and lighters successful cars. Chrysler started nan inclination successful 1994 erstwhile it announced that its caller Chrysler Cirrus and Dodge Stratus would go nan first mass-produced cars not to travel pinch modular ashtrays. The move besides spawned nan optional smokers package successful cars. Chrysler had recovered retired that 78% of group who thrust aliases thrust cars weren't smoking. And today, in-car lighters and ashtrays are immoderate of the wildest features that caller cars don't have. 

Best Auto Photo/Shutterstock

So what took nan spot of nan lighter and ashtray successful Chrysler's then-new sedans? The automaker replaced nan ashtray pinch a pop-out cupholder, while nan spread near down by nan cigaret lighter was covered pinch a removable rubber plug. We're gladsome they near nan lighter's powerfulness source, since drivers tin simply propulsion retired nan rubber screen to plug successful a telephone aliases different electrical device.

Automakers for illustration Honda followed successful nan smokeless car inclination by nan early 2000s, and they started redesigning dashboards and consoles to accommodate cupholders and cubbyholes alternatively of ashtrays, redeeming connected accumulation costs while satisfying user demands. In 2013, Hyundai announced that it was getting free of ashtrays and lighters successful its caller cars, and successful their spot would travel modular USB ports for charging devices.

The alteration is simply a win-win for nan customer and automaker, arsenic car buyers get much retention room for their worldly while carmakers prevention millions. Moreover, profits tin beryllium made from optional "smokers packages," which scope from astir $75 to complete $500 to adhd ashtrays and a lighter, features that were erstwhile standard. For instance, nan Rolls-Royce Smoker's Package adds an ashtray and lighter successful nan beforehand console and successful each rear doorway armrest, each decked successful nan requisite fancy woods and metals. (Meanwhile, you tin adhd these yourself astatine Amazon aliases Walmart for acold less.)

As for who was nan first to connection a smoker's package, our investigation led america to Chrysler. The automaker that ignited nan inclination of "smokeless cars" was besides nan first to make ashtrays optional: Buyers of nan then-new Cirrus and Stratus could still specify an ashtray alternatively of a pop-out cupholder, making Chrysler nan first to unofficially connection a "smokers package" successful a caller car.