A glove compartment, sometimes referred to as a glove box, is an enclosed area often located within the dashboard above the footwell of the passenger front seat in a vehicle. Though named for gloves, this compartment serves as miscellaneous storage. You might keep some everyday items in a glove compartment: the owner’s manuals, insurance paperwork, maps, a flashlight, napkins, or a tire gauge.
The name is derived from the compartment’s original purpose, storing driving gloves. Initially, the glove compartment was a box near the driver on the floorboard. Driving gloves were worn to keep hands clean and considered essential equipment in early vehicles. Many vehicles at the time did not possess a hard top, and fast-moving air could quickly cool and numb your hands when driving.
