Overseas Photos

Here are some Car Wash photos I have taken outside of New Zealand.

This page also serves as an in-depth guide to a few Car Washes I was familiar with growing up.

## United Kingdom:

### **Shell, Welling, London**

I managed to take these photos from the upper deck of a Route 89 bus, whilst it stopped at traffic lights. This red-brushed Washtec Softcare is a second-hand machine that was given a renovation before it was installed in late 2019, having replaced a Washtec Softcare Evo (which was installed in 2009 to replace an old California Kleindienst CK45).

### **Esso Hexagon, New Charlton, London (former BP)**

I took these shots from the upper deck of a Route 161 bus. This BP site has an Istobal M'Start, which was installed in 2018 to replace a Washtec Softcare. As my photos aren't great, I've added a Google Maps shot for better clarity. The old SoftCare originally had Purple & blue striped brushes, which were later replaced with green ones. The M'Start has blue striped brushes.

In 2021, the M'Start was replaced with a brand new Istobal M'Nex 32.

In 2023, the petrol station became an Esso.

### **Sainsbury's, New Charlton**

This is another supermarket chain that operates fuel & car wash services. This site originally had a machine I can't identify, with blue & orange swirly brushes (no photo). It was later replaced with a Christ Primus (Wilcomatic) with blue Swirly brushes. It has since been replaced again, with a Christ Varius (Wilcomatic), with black brushes.

In 2023, the Varius was replaced with a Christ Centus. Photos of the new system are currently unavailable.

### **Morrison's, Erith**

This was my local Car Wash. Originally. Morrison's is one of many UK supermarket chains to also operate fuel & car wash services. The original machine was a Wesumat Softwash with blue & yellow swirly brushes (no photos). In the mid-2000s it was replaced with a Christ Primus with black brushes (branded as Wilcomatic - the main UK distributor of Christ car washes).

Photos uploaded to google in 2022 confirm that this wash has been upgraded to an Istobal M'Start with Dark-Green & Black Brushes.

### **[GONE]** **~~Texaco, Harborne, Birmingham~~**

This Texaco in Birmingham had an old Wesumat Softwash. Interestingly, this site used to be a BP until around 2011.

In 2020, the site was turned into a co-op branded site and the Car Wash was demolished in favour of car-parking spaces for those using the shop.

## Other "Familiar" UK Car Washes

These are some car washes I was familiar with, but do not have any of my own photos of.

### **BP, Northumberland Heath, Erith**

This BP station originally had a Washtec SoftCare, with blue & purple brushes. In 2015, it was replaced with an Istobal M'Start, with blue striped brushes.

### **BP, Bexley Rd**

This BP originally had a Christ Varius with Purple & Blue brushes. In 2017, this was replaced by a Washtec SoftCare with green striped brushes.

### **Shell, Francis Ave, Bexleyheath**

This site was originally a Total, who installed a Washtec SoftCare with red brushes. When the site became a shell, the brushes were replaced with red & orange brushes. In 2019, the brushes were replaced again, with plain red brushes.

### **[GONE] ~~Shell, Sidcup~~**

The view of this one on Google Maps is very difficult, so there's not a good view. This site originally had an old California Kleindienst CK45. It was replaced in 2009 by a Washtec SoftCare Evo, which originally used the classic Shell Red, Yellow & Blue brush colours. In 2020, the brushes were replaced with plain red brushes.

The Car Wash was permanently closed in 2021 to make way for Electric Vehicle Charging Points.

### **[GONE] ~~BP, Perry St, Chislehurst~~**

This BP had a Washtec Softcare with Purple & Blue striped brushes. It was later removed and the wash bay demolished in favour of a bigger shop.

### **Texaco, Orpington**

This site originally belonged to JET, who installed a Washtec SoftCare with yellow & green swirly brushes. This site was later taken over by Texaco, who replaced the brushes with yellow & green striped ones. They later replaced this car wash with a newer Washtec SoftCare, with yellow & green striped brushes.

### **BP, Orpington**

This BP originally had a Christ AutoJet with Blue & Purple Brushes. This was replaced with a Christ Varius, with green brushes. In 2017, this was replaced with a Washtec SoftCare2 Pro, with green striped brushes.

### **Morrison's, Thamesmead**

Another Morrison's, this one originally had a Ceccato Tandem Flash (known in the UK as the Wilcomatic Super Rapide). There are no images of this as it was replaced before Google Streetview existed, but it would've looked and worked something like this.

Around the mid-2000s it was replaced with a Christ Primus with black brushes, branded as Wilcomatic.

Morrison's are currently undertaking a massive Car Wash replacement program using Istobal and Christ washes. As of yet, there is no indication of whether or not this machine has been upgraded. Most recent Streetview if from 2019.

### **imo Car Wash, Thamesmead**

imo (formerly arc in the UK) operates a series of conveyor Car Washes around the world. This is one of two that I remember visiting whilst living in the UK. I am not sure who made any of the equipment here, but it has seen at least one upgrade.

### **Esso** Dartford - Princes Road (former BP)

This is another BP locations that became an Esso in 2023. This site originally had a WashTec SoftCare Pro with Purple & Blue brushes, this was later replaced with another WashTec SoftCare Pro, this time with green striped brushes. This was upgraded later with an Istobal M'Start with black & blue brushes.

### **imo Car Wash, Dartford**

This was the nearest imo to me, and is one I actually went through. In those days, it still had the original blue & yellow swirly brushes, as opposed to the plain blue ones all the imo's have now.

### **BP Park Royal**

This site originally had a WashTec SoftCare Pro with Purple & Blue brushes. At some point, the wash-bay was converted to an open bay - the existing was was kept, but the brushes were changed to green stripes. In September 2022, the machine was replaced with a WashTec SoftCare2 Pro, with green striped brushes.

### **BP Hammersmith Flyover**

The streetview here isn't not good, but we'll do the best we can. This site has always had TWO car washes! Originally, these were Washtec SoftCare's with blue & purple brushes. These have since been replaced with WashTec SoftCare2 Pro's, with green striped brushes.

### **Sainsbury's, Lakeside (Chafford Hundred)**

It is not possible to see what machine this Sainsbury's originally had, as Google Streetview didn't offer a view of it prior to 2017. The current Car Wash is a Christ Varius with black brushes.

### **Morrison's, Chafford Hundred**

This Morrison's originally operated an Istobal M12+, with Yellow & Dark-Green striped brushes. In 2020 this was replaced with an Istobal M'Start with Dark Green & Black striped brushes.

### **imo Car Wash, Lakeside (Tesco)**

This imo is located at a Tesco (supermarket) petrol station. Tesco does often have their own Car Washes, but in this instance there is an imo instead.

### **BP, New Addington**

This BP originally had a Christ AutoJet with unidentified dark brushes. Around 2015, this was replaced with a Washtec SoftCare, with Blue & Purple Brushes.

### **Morrison's, Lincoln (Lincolnshire)**

I visited this Morrison's a couple of times when still living in the UK, as I had family that used to live in Lincoln. This Morrison's originally had a Wesumat Softwash with yellow & blue swirly brushes, which was replaced before streetview came in with a Christ Primus with black brushes. In 2021, the wash was upgraded to an Istobal M'Start with Black & Dark Green brushes.

### **Shell Beaconsfield Services (Beaconsfield)**

It is only possible to view streetview here from 2020 onwards, but the current Car Wash is a WashTec SoftCare with plain red brushes.

### **Esso Kings Norton (Birmingham)**

This site used to belong to BP, and had a WashTec SoftCare with Blue & Purple brushes. In 2015, this was replaced with an Istobal M'Start with Blue & black brushes brushes. In 2021 this was replaced by an Istobal M'Nex 32 with blue striped brushes. In 2023 this site changed from BP to Esso.

### **Applegreen Quinton (Birmingham)**

This is another former BP location. The site still has a WashTec SoftCare from when it was with BP. It originally had purple & blue brushes, but after becoming an Applegreen in 2015, the brushes were replaced with blue stripes.

## Hong Kong

### **Auto Beauty, Quarry Bay**

This Car Wash site around the corner from my hotel had this very weird 5-brush machine with black brushes. I have never seen one of these before. It appears to be a Chinese-made car wash, and I think it's called a "CF-330".