Can you imagine a world without cup holders? Guess the year modern-day cup holders became available in American cars. It wasn’t until 1983 when the built-in cup holder, capable of holding a variety of cup shapes and sizes, arrived in U.S. vehicles and Chrysler made it all happen. Chrysler created an entire new category of vehicle with the invention of the minivan. A sturdy, 2-cup holder was sunk into the console of the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager. Cup holders became more commonplace after 1983, but it was not until 1994 when McDonalds famously paid Stella Liebeck a $640,000 settlement after she poured boiling coffee onto her lap while sitting in her car. So for those of use that began crusing before 1983 we enjoyed the car(s) for what they were.