Bel-Comp Car Wash
Bellflower, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Check out the fins reaching skyward at Bel-Comp Car Wash in Bellflower. The cars may be moving slowly through the wash, but the roof looks ready to take off. These tall, angled supports give an ordinary stop for soap and water a little space-age flair.
The name comes from the old crossroads of Bellflower and Compton Boulevards. Southern California once had plenty of car washes with this kind of ambition, back when the building could catch your eye just as quickly as the sign.
UPDATE: Bel-Comp remains listed as a car wash on Somerset Boulevard. 10-26
Castle Car Wash (Closed)
Long Beach, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Now here's a change from all those space-age fins. Castle Car Wash in Long Beach gave motorists a little medieval scenery along Pacific Coast Highway. Check out the castle-shaped exterior, looking more prepared for an approaching army than a line of dusty cars.
It's an unusual choice for a car wash, and that's part of the fun. Pull over for a closer look and suddenly the usual wash tunnel has become a roadside fortress. About the only thing missing is a drawbridge.
UPDATE: Castle was reported out of business in 2022. 10-26
Studio City Hand Car Wash
Studio City, CA Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo
Need a hand getting the car clean? Check out the giant one at Studio City Car Wash. on Ventura Boulevard. Gripping a yellow sponge with a pink 1957 Corvette perched above it, this sign makes quite a greeting for passing motorists.
There's little chance of mistaking what goes on here. The oversized sponge gets the message across, while the Corvette gives car buffs another reason to slow down for a look. Even among Southern California's unusual car washes, this one takes a different approach.
The city had something to say about that approach. After a dispute over its size and placement, the owner agreed in 2001 to lower the sign from 26 feet to 20 feet and move it farther back from the street. A little shorter, but still quite a handful.
UPDATE: Studio City Hand Car Wash is still welcoming customers, with its website telling drivers to follow the giant hand. 10-26
Jet Car Wash (Demolished)
Inglewood, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Take a look at the sharp fins poking through the roof of Jet Car Wash in Inglewood. The name certainly goes with the building. Even with cars lined up for a wash, those upward-pointing supports give the place a look straight out of the jet age.
This is the sort of roadside stop that makes a dirty windshield a useful excuse to pull in. The wash may have been the reason for the visit, but the roof is what ended up in the photo.
UPDATE: The car wash was torn down after 2022. 10-26
Hollywood Riviera Car Wash
Redondo Beach, CA Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo
Check out the Hollywood Riviera! The concrete block looks identical
to the Ambassador College "honeycomb" buildings! This is on
Pacific Coast Highway near the area known as the "Hollywood Riviera"...east
of Redondo Beach, almost into Palos Verdes.
Many thanks to Adriene Biondo for info.
Cruising Pacific Coast Highway in Redondo Beach, take a look at the concrete block wall at Hollywood Riviera Car Wash. Those honeycomb openings give the place a pattern worth checking out through the camera. A little unexpected scenery while waiting for the car to come through.
The blocks bring to mind the honeycomb buildings at Ambassador College. Here, the repeating shapes give a car wash some of the same appeal. Look across the wall and the openings become as much a part of the building's appearance as the blocks themselves.
Hollywood Riviera Car Wash
Redondo Beach, CA Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo
Southern California car washes often went for soaring fins and big signs, but this one offers a reason to look a little closer. It's the kind of detail that might slip past while watching traffic on PCH, then catch your attention on the return trip.
The wash sits near the Hollywood Riviera neighborhood, along the coastal drive toward Palos Verdes. Pull in with a dusty car and there's something to photograph while the hood gets its shine back.
UPDATE: Looks like this place is still open. 10-26
"Smile" Car Wash
North Hollywood, CA Photo courtesy Tony Craig
Here's a cheerful greeting along the road in North Hollywood. The “Smile” Car Wash sports a big grin on its marquee, with pointed fins rising from the building behind it. Between the smile and the roofline, there's plenty here to catch a passing motorist's eye.
Those fins belong to the days when car washes seemed to compete for the most interesting silhouette. This one added a friendly face to the mix. Might be enough to persuade someone to finally wash the car.
UPDATE: The fate of the smiling marquee and the car wash's fins remains unconfirmed. 10-26
Miracle Mile Car Wash
San Bernardino, CA Photo and info courtesy David Carrasco
As you travel through San Bernardino, check out the tall sign for Miracle Mile Car Wash. Rising above the wash below, this roadside marquee gives drivers plenty of notice that a cleanup stop is coming into view. No need to wait until you're right at the driveway to spot this one.
The flashing lights add a little movement after dark, when the sign has a better chance to show off. A daytime wash and an evening look at the marquee might call for two trips past this corner.
The building dates to 1971, putting it back in the days when a car wash could come with a sizable roadside attention-getter. This sign certainly takes advantage of the space overhead. Even if the car is already clean, there's a reason to slow down for a look.
UPDATE: Miracle Mile Car Wash is still open on South E Street, offering washes and detailing seven days a week. 10-26
Bel-Comp Car Wash
Castle Car Wash (Closed)
Jet Car Wash (Demolished)
Hollywood Riviera Car Wash
Hollywood Riviera Car Wash
"Smile" Car Wash
Miracle Mile Car Wash
