Why do they call it a glove compartment in a car?

Glove compartments are so named because, in the early days of automobiles, it was common to keep a pair of gloves for driving inside them. Early automobiles offered drivers no protection from the weather, and it was common for intrepid motorists to travel wearing hats, goggles and gloves.

The glove compartment first appeared on horseless carriages made by Packard circa 1900, and by the 1930s, most automobile manufacturers had made it a standard feature. Though many items have been held in glove compartments throughout the history of automobiles, they acquired the name due to the regularity of gloves being kept inside.