# Why do cars have glove boxes? **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Tags:** catera, driving, cadillac\ **Created:** [February 17, 2011, 6:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-do-cars-have-glove-boxes/61478 "2011-02-17T18:32:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sumflow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@sumflow](https://community.cartalk.com/u/sumflow)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 6:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-do-cars-have-glove-boxes/61478/1 "2011-02-17T18:32:22Z")
Why do cars have glove boxes? Where did they come from and why? ---
**Author:** ![ken\_green](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/ken_green/32/816_2.png) [@ken\_green](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ken_green)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 6:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-do-cars-have-glove-boxes/61478/2 "2011-02-17T18:40:14Z")
A place for your stuff. ( a la George Carlin ) ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 6:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-do-cars-have-glove-boxes/61478/3 "2011-02-17T18:42:05Z")
They started out as what they’re named - a place for the driver to store his gloves. ---
**Author:** ![Triedaq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Triedaq](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Triedaq)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 8:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-do-cars-have-glove-boxes/61478/4 "2011-02-17T20:34:42Z")
As I remember, some European cars did not have glove boxes. My 1971 Maverick did not have a glove box, but just had a package tray under the dashboard. I bought a kit from J.C. Whitney that consisted of two sliding doors so I could conceal my junk. ---
**Author:** ![Boxful\_of\_neutrals](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Boxful\_of\_neutrals](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Boxful_of_neutrals)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 11:05am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-do-cars-have-glove-boxes/61478/6 "2011-02-18T11:05:54Z")
It’s so that a P.I on surveillance has somewhere to put… - Ding Dongs - Zingers - The manual - Backup Piece - 8x10 blackmail pictures ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2011, 3:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-do-cars-have-glove-boxes/61478/7 "2011-02-19T15:18:50Z")
Because gloves were considered a necessity on early, topless cars. > **[Glove compartment](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glove_compartment)** > > A glove compartment or glovebox or glovie is a compartment built into the dashboard, located over the front-seat passenger's footwell in an automobile, often used for miscellaneous storage. The name derives from the original purpose of the compartment, to store gloves. They were sometimes in a box on the floorboard near the driver, hence the alternate moniker of a "glovebox". In most vehicles, the glove compartment closes with a latch, with the option of being locked with a key (often desirable w... ---
**Author:** ![rwee2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e0b2c6/32.png) [@rwee2000](https://community.cartalk.com/u/rwee2000)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 7:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-do-cars-have-glove-boxes/61478/8 "2011-03-01T19:55:10Z")
They started out as a place to store your driving gloves which were considered necessary for driving. Trust me drive in an open air car when it’s cold and you’ll understand the need for driving gloves. My opinions are subject to change with new facts. ---
**Author:** ![Triedaq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Triedaq](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Triedaq)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 8:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-do-cars-have-glove-boxes/61478/9 "2011-03-01T20:06:22Z")
I have it on good authority that the glove box gives certain members of the clergy a place to store booze. My own minister told me this story: A Methodist minister and a Catholic priest collided at an intersection. Both clergy got out of their cars to inspect the damage. The Methodist minister was rather shaken up. The Catholic priest went to his car, opened the glove box and pulled out a bottle. “Have a drink”, he said to the Methodist minister. “No”, replied the Methodist. “I don’t drink”. "Well, said the priest. “How often are you involved in an auto accident?” “This is my first one”, exclaimed the Methodist minister. “Then you had better have one for your nerves”, retorted the priest. Finally the Methodist minister took a swig. It was so good that he had several more belts before the priest put the bottle back in the glove box. The Methodist minister suddenly came to his senses. “You were in the same accident. When are you going to take a drink?” he asked. The Catholic priest replied, “Oh, I’ll have a drink after the police have investigated”. ---
**Author:** ![waterboy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/waterboy/32/764_2.png) [@waterboy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/waterboy)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 11:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-do-cars-have-glove-boxes/61478/10 "2011-03-01T23:53:53Z")
I like that, but think it must be tied to a place to store gloves. ---
**Author:** ![Triedaq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Triedaq](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Triedaq)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 1:39am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-do-cars-have-glove-boxes/61478/11 "2011-03-02T01:39:50Z")
The glove box came along about the time of prohibition. You wouldn’t dare call it a “booze box”. Hence it was called a glove box to throw off the feds. ---
**Author:** ![Sedrick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Sedrick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Sedrick)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 12:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-do-cars-have-glove-boxes/61478/12 "2011-03-02T12:02:16Z")
Out in Nevada, it’s for your meatloaf! (forget where I heard that) ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 3:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-do-cars-have-glove-boxes/61478/13 "2011-03-02T15:18:56Z")
The Russian Lada has a very useful “glove box”. It is slanted downward, deep and can store 2 bottles of vodka! About the only redeeming feature of this Russian version of a Fiat. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2011, 4:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-do-cars-have-glove-boxes/61478/14 "2011-03-27T16:20:21Z")
The was a GREAT HBO special he did on Stuff…some 20+ years ago. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2011, 7:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-do-cars-have-glove-boxes/61478/15 "2011-03-27T19:36:02Z")
It must be difficult to drink and drive in a Lada. Once the cork is removed, the elixir will spill all over. How do they overcome this pressing issue? ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2011, 8:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-do-cars-have-glove-boxes/61478/16 "2011-03-27T20:15:08Z")
But you always need more stuff and stuff to put the other stuff in. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![impala61](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/77aa72/32.png) [@impala61](https://community.cartalk.com/u/impala61)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2011, 1:50am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-do-cars-have-glove-boxes/61478/17 "2011-03-28T01:50:55Z")
They’re there to put stuff in. They came from the factory. Why do cars have trunks? ---
**Author:** ![galant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/77aa72/32.png) [@galant](https://community.cartalk.com/u/galant)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2011, 5:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-do-cars-have-glove-boxes/61478/18 "2011-03-28T05:13:18Z")
Actually, it is very difficult to drive a Lada (in Russia), if you are not drunk. ---
**Author:** ![impala61](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/77aa72/32.png) [@impala61](https://community.cartalk.com/u/impala61)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2011, 9:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-do-cars-have-glove-boxes/61478/19 "2011-03-28T09:00:15Z")
I just bought looser trousers. ---
**Author:** ![impala61](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/77aa72/32.png) [@impala61](https://community.cartalk.com/u/impala61)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2011, 9:02am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-do-cars-have-glove-boxes/61478/20 "2011-03-28T09:02:40Z")
I understand they’re old, and they’re leather, and they’re motorcycle, but WHY DO YOU KEEP THE GLOVES IN THE CAR WHERE THEY ARE COLD INSTEAD OF IN THE HOUSE WHERE THEY WOULD BE WARM? ---
**Author:** ![impala61](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/77aa72/32.png) [@impala61](https://community.cartalk.com/u/impala61)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2011, 9:05am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-do-cars-have-glove-boxes/61478/21 "2011-03-28T09:05:21Z")
Since when did vodka come with a cork? [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-do-cars-have-glove-boxes/61478.md?page=2)