Smokers Lose Place to Park Their Butts

Chrysler Corp.’s new compact sedans will be the first mass-market cars since the days of crank-start engines to come off the assembly line without ashtrays.

The third-biggest U.S. auto maker plans to offer the ashtray and a cigarette lighter as options on its sedans this year, making room for a coffee mug rest and a hookup for a cellular phone.

“Research shows that something like 78% of people who ride in cars don’t smoke, so why should it be easier for the minority that does?” said Suzanne Hofmann, interior designer of the Chrysler Cirrus and Dodge Stratus.