Vic's Car Wash (Demolished)
Pico Rivera, CA
Photo courtesy Sal Garcia

A row of parallel fins gave Vic’s Car Wash in Pico Rivera a little extra style along Rosemead Boulevard. Check out the front facade, where the fins made a routine stop for a wash look like something from the space-age roadside. Apparently, the cars weren’t the only things expected to look sharp.

Located near Slauson Avenue, Vic’s belonged to the days when neighborhood car washes competed with more than soap and a clean windshield. An unusual building could catch a driver’s attention before the dust on the hood did. Those repeated fins certainly gave this one a look to remember.

UPDATE: Vic’s Car Wash has been demolished, taking its distinctive finned frontage with it. An exact demolition year hasn’t been established, but the old wash is another missing piece of Pico Rivera’s roadside scenery. 10-26