Beach-Lin Car Wash (Demolished)
Anaheim, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Take a look from the side at Beach-Lin Car Wash in Anaheim, where the boomerang fins create an almost butterfly effect. The repeated shapes give the wash a little movement of its own, even when the cars underneath are standing still. At Beach Boulevard and Lincoln Avenue, this place had a name that doubled as directions.
Built around 1960, Beach-Lin originally operated as a National Car Wash. Its distinctive fins belonged to a design also used at other National locations, making this Anaheim stop part of a larger family of space-age car washes.
UPDATE: Beach-Lin Car Wash was demolished in 2021. The city acquired the property in 2019 as part of a larger purchase that included the neighboring Americana Motel, clearing the way for redevelopment near Beach and Lincoln. Another set of roadside boomerangs disappeared from the drive through town. 10-26
Sparkle Car Wash
San Bernardino, CA Photo courtesy David Carrasco
Cruising along Highland Avenue in San Bernardino, check out the multi-colored boomerang fins at Sparkle Car Wash. Angled outward above the wash, these roadside attention-getters give motorists something to look at while the cars below get a little cleaning. Even a dusty windshield would have a hard time hiding this row of color.
The fins give the place that familiar Googie look, recalling an era when Southern California car washes put nearly as much personality into their buildings as their signs. A routine stop for soap and water came with a little space-age scenery. The Better Business Bureau lists Sparkle’s business beginnings as March 20, 1964, putting its history back in the heyday of roadside car-wash architecture.
UPDATE: In 2025, Sparkle Car Wash became the first San Bernardino business to complete a beautification project under the city’s Paintbrush Façade Improvement Program. A little attention for a place that has long known how to catch the eye of passing motorists. 10-26
Lakeside Car Wash (Closed)
Burbank, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
Just down Riverside Drive from Bob’s Big Boy, Lakeside Car Wash offered another reason to slow down and take a look. Its wood and lava rock gave the Burbank business a character all its own, with a low, rambling building that looked somewhat like a Valley ranch house getting into the car-washing business. 10-05
Built in 1956 at Riverside Drive and Hollywood Way, Lakeside paired those earthy materials with a tall Googie sign. Near Warner Bros. Studios, this was a place where even an everyday cleanup stop came with some memorable roadside scenery.
The appearance earned more than a passing glance. In 1963, Lakeside received a Los Angeles Beautiful award, one of just eight winners selected from more than 300 Valley buildings considered. Decades later, its combination of landscaping, architecture, and signage continued to attract admirers.
Lakeside Car Wash
Burbank, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
UPDATE: Lakeside closed in 2023. A redevelopment approved in April 2022 allows the historic building to be demolished for a seven-story mixed-use project, with the Googie pole sign retained and relocated on the property. The Los Angeles Conservancy opposed the demolition of this unusual roadside landmark. 10-26
Premier Car Wash (Closed)
Encino, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Cruising Ventura Boulevard in Encino, check out the old jet-age look of Premier Car Wash. This roadside stop brought a little space-age styling to the everyday chore of cleaning the car, giving passing motorists another reason to glance over from the boulevard.
Located on Ventura Boulevard, Premier belonged to that familiar Southern California tradition of car washes with some personality built into the place. The photograph catches its earlier appearance, when the Premier name was still part of the roadside scenery.
UPDATE: The former Premier location now operates as QuikWash Encino, which the company identifies as its original flagship location. Cars still come through for a wash at the same Ventura Boulevard address, although the business now carries the QuikWash name and branding. 10-26
Hollypark Car Wash (Gone)
Inglewood, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Over on Century Boulevard in Inglewood, Hollypark Car Wash carried a name that fit its surroundings. With Hollywood Park racetrack nearby, the connection wasn’t too difficult to figure out. Drivers could get the car cleaned up before continuing along this busy stretch of road. 04-06
The business stood at 3350 West Century Boulevard, adding a car-wash stop to a corridor of shops and other roadside businesses. The old photograph catches a piece of the neighborhood before redevelopment changed the view.
UPDATE: Hollypark Car Wash is gone. State cleanup records already identified the address as the “Former HollyPark Car Wash” in April 2006. The demolition date is not known. 10-26
Magic Car Wash (Demolished)
Los Angeles, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Check out the space-age spires and curving facade at the former Magic Car Wash in Los Angeles. This place put a little imagination into the business of washing cars, giving passing motorists something to admire before they even pulled into the driveway. 04-06
The arches above the circular lettering made the frontage look a bit like an old automobile bouncing along the road. Paired with the tall spires, the design turned a practical business into a roadside attraction. There was plenty to catch the eye while waiting for the soap and water to do their work.
Magic Car Wash (Demolished)
Los Angeles, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Unfortunately, the building, sign, and arches were demolished. The empty lot described in the original caption marked the disappearance of another distinctive Los Angeles car wash.
UPDATE: The vintage Magic Car Wash was already noted as demolished in the original April 2006 posting, although the exact year of demolition remains unconfirmed. A present-day business named Magic Car Wash is listed at 1923 West Manchester Avenue, but its operation does not state that the old photographed structure survives or that it occupied that same address. 10-26
Sparkle Car Wash
Lakeside Car Wash (Closed)
Lakeside Car Wash
Premier Car Wash (Closed)
Hollypark Car Wash (Gone)
Magic Car Wash (Demolished)
Magic Car Wash (Demolished)
