History of Z Car Washes

This page takes a look at the history of Shell and Z car washes in New Zealand. Until 2010, Shell uses to operate in New Zealand, however they exited the New Zealand fuel distribution business in April 2010, selling its operations to Infratil and NZ Super. The former Shell operations were rebranded as Z Energy in 2011. The Car Wash history of Shell and Z is incredibly simple, as they have used very few machines.

## Ryko Ultraclean/Premier XL (1990's)

Like most, Shell were installing Ryko UltraClean and Premier XL 5-brush machines throughout the 1990's. These came with a variety of different brush designs. Sadly, almost no images of these exist, as nearly all were removed or replaced before good-quality Google Streetview became available in 2009. None of these remain at any Z stations.

Can't see much? Me neither. Yet these 2008 Streetview images are some of the only visual evidence that these machines existed!

Click Here to see a an Ultraclean in the USA with Shell's Brushes. Note that the one in the link isn't fitted with Dryer's, whereas the ones here in New Zealand would have been. At the very least it will give you *some* idea of what one of these machines probabaly looked like.

This unit at Auckland Airport chad plain-yellow brushes. It was replaced in 2008, with a Washtec SoftCare Evo.This site in the lower South Island also had an old Ryko, but this time the brushes were in the tradtional shell colours - Red, Yellow & Blue. It's hard to make it out, but if you look closely, you might see it.Sent by a viewer - one in Christchurch with Red & Yello checkered brushes.Sent by a viewer - one in Christchurch with Red & Yello checkered brushes.
## Ryko Monarch II (1990's)

Shell also installed touch-free Ryko Monarch II's during the 1990's. Again, most were replaced before decent Streetview became available, but some did last longer. One site in Lower Hutt kept there's right up until the Z takeover in 2011. None of these remain at any Z stations.

This might just be the only Ryko Car Wash that Shell didn't replace before Z took over in 2011, located in Lower Hutt. It was replaced with a Washtec Softcare when Z took over in 2011.
## Ceccato Ginga (1990's)

Some Shell's in the 1990's feature Ceccato Ginga 3-brush machines. These usually had either multi-coloured or red, blue & yellow brushes. As with the Ryko's, most were replaced or removed before 2008. None of these remain at any Z stations.

This Car Wash was located in a small town on the North Island. Unlike other old Shell washes that were removed in 2007 or 2008, this one survied a couple of years longer, allowing a better view of it with Google Streetview. It was replaced with a Washtec sometime around 2009-10.This old 2008 Streetview image from Napier confirms that this is a former Ceccato location.It may be a blurry image, but the unusual tiled angle of the brushes proves that this site in Oamaru is another former Ceccato location! Google Streetview, 2008
## Istobal M10 Multiprogrammer (Late 90s)

At least two former Shell sites are known to have operated M10's, both located in Christchurch and with multi-coloured brushes.

## Istobal M12 (early 2000's)

I have only found evidence of one site operating an M12, located in Kaiapoi, Canterbury. This machine had multi-coloured brushes. This site was converted to a Mobil in 2012, and the Car Wash facility sold off separately to become a private car wash site.

## Ryko Excel (2000's)

Not many Shell's got these, likely since most sites that had Car Washes were using 1990's machines that were all replaced more or less in one go from 2007-2009. Nevertheless, a few sites did get to have Ryko Excel's, with Red, Yellow & Blue brushes. None of these remain at any Z stations.

## WashTec SoftCare (2007-Present)

Shell began installing Washtec SoftCare's in 2007, and to this day they are still being installed by Z. These would've originally had the traditional Shell Red, Yellow & Blue brushes. When Z took over Shell in 2011, all of these has their the brushes replaced with orange ones, and in 2018 all machines had their brushes changed again, this time orange & dark-blue.

The new Z brushes were fitted to this wash before the wash bay was painted into Z Colours.
## WashTec SoftCare Evo (2007-Present)

In addition to installing the classic SoftCare, Shell also began installing the Evo variant in 2007, which Z continues to install to this day. The brush history is exactly the same - shell brushes from new, replaced with Orange ones in 2011, and replaced with Orange & Dark-Blue ones in 2018.

## Washtec SoftCare Juno (2008-????)

The Juno is a version of the SoftCare that features two top-brushes and two dryers. At first, I thought that the only Juno's in New Zealand were installed by BP, until I discovered one at a Z site in Christchurch. The exact year of installation is unclear, as there is a gap in the Google streetview between 2008 (when the site still had a Ryko Monarch II) and 2012. This also sadly means that there is no way to view it with Shell Brushes.

## Washtec SoftCare2 Pro Touchless (2019-2020)

In 2019, Z began installing new Washtec SoftCare2 Pro Touchless machines. These are not actually "Touchless" as the name might suggest. Instead, they are combination washes capable of Brush, Touchless or Combination wash packages. These new machines also have a new LED feature lighting inside the wash bay.

Z Also operates one of these in Caltex specification with two-tone blue striped brushes at Sandringham, Auckland as Z Energy took over this site from Caltex in 2021.

## PDQ Laserwash M5 (Ex. Caltex) (2020)

In 2020, Z took over the Caltex site in Russley, Christchurch, which came with a PDQ Laserwash M5 that has been installed by Caltex many years previously. The Wash arm was been replaced with a newer PDQ wash arm.

In 2021, this was replaced with a brand new Istobal Tracer touchless system.

## Istobal M12+ (Ex. Caltex) (2020)

In 2020, Z took over the Caltex Site in Rangiora, Canterbury, which came with an Istobal M12+ with Red Brushes, installed between 2009 and 2012 by Caltex.

This machine was replaced later the same year with a secondhand WashTec SoftCare Evo.

## Istobal Tracer (2021-Present)

In 2021, Z Energy signed a new deal with Istobal to supply new Car Washes. One of the types selected was the Tracer, which is Istobals' overhead Touchless system. Z Energy installed the first one of these in July 2021 at Caltex Rimutaka, which is wholly-operated by Z as of 2021. A second was installed at the site in Russley, Christchurch, which is a former Caltex site.

## Istobal M'Nex 22 (2021)

In 2021, Z Energy purchased just one M'Nex 22, to urgently replace a system destroyed in a collision in Oamaru. This machine was an "off the sehelf" machine using whatever brushes were avaiable at the time, due to the urgency of the install, meaning that this machine has black & grey striped brushes. This will likely be Z's only M'Nex 22, as they have since comitted to the higher-spec M'Nex 32 (see below) for future installs.

## Istobal M'Nex 32 (2021-Present)

In 2021, Z Energy signed a new deal with Istobal to supply new Car Washes. The M'Nex 32 is the main type of wash that Z selected, with the first two opening in Lower Hutt (Wellington) and Tauranga in December 2021. These new machines are fitted with plain dark-blue brushes.