Vintage auto coffee maker for car – 12v travel coffee heater with cups & box – 1970s

For a certain kind of 1970s driver, stopping for coffee was not an option —so someone invented this: the Auto Coffee Maker, a 12V travel heater designed to plug into your car and deliver hot coffee, tea or “other liquids” (their words, not mine).

It's peak analog travel culture: beige plastic, smoked lid, stacked cups, and a coiled cable that ends in the most gloriously vintage cigarette-lighter plug you've ever seen. The box calls it “the perfect traveling companion for sportsmen, campers, vacationers, salesmen, truck drivers and car pools”—basically anyone with a pulse and a vehicle.

Includes:
– the coffee heater unit
– three original cups (one large, two small stackables)
– cigarette-lighter 12V plug
– original box with graphics so good they’re basically design therapy

Note: the original window-mount support is missing—the unit can still be used standing on a flat surface or kept as the brilliant collectible it is.

Condition:
Very good vintage condition. Clean plastic, bright colors, light signs of use. Cups in excellent condition. Heating element visually intact. The box has wear, soft corners and scuffs—all photographed.

Era: late 1970s–early 1980s
Voltage: 12V (car cigarette lighter plug)
Origin: likely Japan/Taiwan (typical for gadgets of this era), unbranded
Model: MEC-12 (printed on box)

A perfect piece for collectors of odd travel gadgets, analog enthusiasts, or anyone who thinks the world peaked when you could brew coffee inside your car.