If you can identify this mystery item, then you must be getting older or your car definitely is. Brace yourself for a trip down memory lane as we unravel the mystery.

Here are a few hints to help you guess: these little additions became standard in almost all cars in the 1950s but disappeared in the 1990s and early 2000s. Now, you may wonder why you don’t see them anymore, but believe it or not, some people are quite mad they’re gone. You see, they were used for a habit that many people still indulge in, and paying to add one to your car can be quite expensive.

That’s right, we’re talking about the built-in ashtray. It may seem almost unbelievable in today’s smoke-free world, but these little spaces were once a common feature in cars. Unfortunately, due to various reasons including pressure from the Surgeon General, the need to make room for electronics like power door locks and auto windows, and a desire to keep customers happy, car manufacturers decided to kill off the ashtray in the 90s. As a result, Chrysler made their last built-in ashtray in 1996.

But fear not, smokers! If you still enjoy a puff while on the road, you probably paid for a “smoker’s package” which consists of an ashtray that conveniently slides into your cup holder. It may not be as glamorous as the old flip-up version, but it gets the job done just as well.

So, whether you reminisce about the good old days or embrace the smoke-free environment we now live in, the disappearing ashtray remains a nostalgic reminder of a bygone era.