Sofspra Car Wash
Encinitas, CA
Photo courtesy M.C. Morrissey

Here’s the sign for Sofspra Car Wash in Encinitas, trying to catch the attention of motorists whose cars could use a little help. No giant neon automobile or spinning brush up top, just a straightforward roadside announcement that it’s time to wash the ride.

UPDATE: Sofspra remains open along Coast Highway 101, with self-service washing still part of the operation. The car wash continues doing its roadside job, giving passing vehicles a chance to leave looking better than they arrived. 10-26

Check out some of the car washes from San Diego at Roadside Peek's Car Washes San Diego.

Manchester Car Wash (Gone)
Inglewood, CA
Photo courtesy Georg Balandran

A wash and a little roadside scenery came together at Manchester Car Wash in Inglewood. Opened around 1958, the business arrived when Southern California’s growing collection of cars gave neighborhood washes plenty to do. Its Manchester Boulevard location offered motorists a place to clean up before heading back into traffic.

Check out the low, flat-roofed wash tunnel and the bold lettering along the front. A row of flags added movement above the colorful panels, giving the place a cheerful look even before the first car rolled through. Apparently, getting the road dust off didn’t require a dull building.

Manchester Car Wash
Inglewood, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

For roughly five decades, the business remained part of the neighborhood’s automotive routine. The bright frontage was still on display in April 2006, recalling the days when a car wash could put as much personality into its exterior as a coffee shop or motel. 04-06

UPDATE: Manchester Car Wash appears to have closed around 2007–2008, with the building and tall roadside sign removed by 2009. The property was redeveloped for commercial use and parking, leaving none of the old wash’s distinctive signage in place. Another colorful stop disappeared from the Inglewood roadside. 10-26

Compton Car Wash (Gone)
Compton, CA
Photo courtesy Sal Garcia

Now that’s something to put above a car wash. The big boomerang at Compton Car Wash gave motorists on Rosecrans Avenue plenty to look at before pulling in. Check out the sweeping rooftop feature, making a routine wash stop look ready for takeoff.

Visiting the local Car Wash is like taking a step back in time to the postwar years of the 50's and 60's. With their huge butterfly or aero fin motifs, these car washes bring back memories of the days when structures were built with monstrous appendages and gigantic marquees. One such example is the Compton Car Wash. So stop, visit, and sneak a peek at the remaining stalwarts of a fast disappearing era.

A closer up look at the googie butterfly boomerang top adorning the car wash
Compton, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The boomerang was already there in 1981, when the wash was captured in a view now preserved in the Library of Congress. Quite a destination for a building whose everyday job was getting the dust and grime off passing cars.

Its shape made the business easy to remember. No need to recall every storefront along the boulevard when the directions could include the car wash with the giant boomerang. These were the days when even an automotive cleanup could come with a little roadside entertainment.

A shot from across the street
Compton, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

UPDATE: The big boomerang above the Compton Car Wash is no longer there. Many thanks to Sal Garcia for info. 07-07

UPDATE: The large boomerang had been removed by July 2007. The loss changed the wash’s appearance considerably, but it doesn’t establish that the entire building was demolished. The earlier views preserve this one when its most memorable feature was still riding high above the cars. 10-26