email: roadarch@outlook.com

Mid-Century Modern Car Washes (page 5)

(hit "refresh" to get the most recent version of this page; click on photos for larger images)

Classic Car Wash
Saratoga, CA		 Metro Car Wash [gone]
Costa Mesa, CA
There are three other Classic Car Wash locations in the Bay Area but only this one has these columns with lanterns. [map]

the Metro Car Wash in Costa Mesa had the same design as the one in Saratoga. The Costa Mesa location was demolished in 2021. The sign appeared to be original, indicating that the car wash in Saratoga was probably a Metro Car Wash originally. The Costa Mesa sign has been remodeled and the car wash has been rebuilt as the Fast 5 Xpress Car Wash. [map]

Euclid Car Wash
Anaheim, CA

2016:
2020:
The Euclid Car Wash also has a lantern motif and was probably built using the same design as the car washes above. This may have been a Metro Car Wash originally. [map]

J&S Auto Hand Wash [gone]
Van Nuys, CA		 Star Handwash
Sunland, CA
The J&S Auto Hand Wash was built in 1964. It was originally known as the Sultan Car Wash. I have not seen globes and details like these on top of the fins anywhere else. These photos are from 2013. By 2015, this car wash had closed and was fenced off. It had been demolished by 2017.

The Star Handwash looks like the same design as the J&S Auto Hand Wash. The poles probably had globes and/or flags like that car wash originally. [map]

National Car Wash
North Hollywood, CA

2013:
2022:
The National Car Wash built these steel beam and cable style car washes in Southern and Northern California around 1960. Around 2015, this location's "National" sign panel was removed. The "Car Wash" letters have also been replaced. The fins and now painted white and red. [map]

Beach-Lin Car Wash [gone]
Anaheim, CA
The Beach-Lin Car Wash is another example of the wire-supported cheese hole fin type, originally a National Car Wash. It was also built around 1960. The car wash was demolished in 2020.

Tan's Touchless Car Wash
Santa Clara, CA
2008: 2014:
2022:
Lozano Brushless Car Wash
Sunnyvale, CA		 Lozano Brushless Car Wash
Mountain View, CA
Tan's Touchless Car Wash and the Lozano Brushless Car Washes are more examples of this National Car Wash design from the 1960s. There are far fewer mid-century car washes in Northern California than in Southern California. I don't know if fewer were built there or if just fewer survive. The Santa Clara car wash has been Tan's since 1982. [Santa Clara map]; [Sunnyvale map]; [Mountain View map]

Top Express Car Wash (now Champion Car Wash)
Los Angeles, CA
2013: 2022:
The Top Express Car Wash was previously known as Simm's Car Wash. These arch style car washes are far less common than the fin types. This location's arches have been painted lime green and the sign adapted for Champion Car Wash. [map]

Buena Park Car Wash [gone]
Buena Park, CA
The Buena Park Car Wash featured a slightly different style arch. This photo is from 2008. By 2011, the car wash had been demolished.

Expert Car Wash
Los Angeles, CA		 Trojan Car Wash
Long Beach, CA
The Expert Car Wash was built in 1960. It must have originally had the same "Car Wash" letters suspended on the cables like the Top Express Car Wash above. [map]

The Trojan Car Wash is a self-serve business. [map]

Go Eco Express Wash (now Lightning Express Car Wash)
Lawndale, CA

2013:
2022:
I don't know if the Go Eco Express Wash is a remodeled building or recently built in the 1960s style. Around 2015, it became the Lightning Express Car Wash. Around 2019, the fins were painted blue and yellow. [map]

Lindstrom's Family Auto Wash
Phoenix, AZ		 Francis & Sons Car Wash [gone]
Phoenix, CA
Lindstrom's Family Auto Wash was built in 1965 as the Rainbow Car Wash. It has been Lindstrom's since 1984. [map]

This Francis & Sons Car Wash was built in 1967. This photo is from 2012. The car wash was still there in 2014 but had been demolished by 2015.

Self Service Car Wash
San Leandro, CA
The lights at the Self Service Car Wash appear to be from the 1960s. [map]

Charleston Car Wash
Las Vegas, NV		 Cascade Car Wash
El Paso, TX
The Charleston Car Wash appears to be from the 1960s. [map]

The Cascade Car Wash was probably built in the 1960s. There is also a sputnik sign here. [map]

Mister Car Wash
Albuquerque, NM		 4-95 Boca Car Wash
Boca Raton, FL
The Mister Car Wash was previously an Octopus Car Wash. I don't know if this location ever had an octopus statue like these. There was another Octopus Car Wash in Albuquerque that had a statue until it, too, was sold to Mister Car Wash. As far as I know, none of the other Octopus Car Washes had buildings like this. It probably housed another car wash originally. [map]

The 4-95 Boca Car Wash was built in 1962. [map]

former car wash
Fort Lauderdale, FL
This former car wash was built in 1969. I don't know what the original name was but it was still operating as a car wash in 2007. By 2011, this building was out of commission and the property was being used for car repairs. [map]

More Car Washes:
Fullerton Car Wash (Fullerton, CA) [vintage]
former Fill-R-Up Auto Wash (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
Wishy Washy Car Wash (Plymouth, MI)
Autobell Car Wash (Lincolnton, NC)
Car Wash City: 1, 2 (location unknown) [International Fiberglass photos thanks Terry Nelson]

Car Washes
(page 1)		 Car Washes
(page 2)		 Car Washes
(page 3)		 Car Washes
(page 4)		 Mid-Century Modern Buildings
Main Page