Attracting the Unwashed

Americans not only buy more cars than anyone, but spend far more time and money keeping them clean. This year they will spend $257 million to have their autos washed professionally, and countless millions of hours washing cars in their own driveways. While some 5,000 car-wash outfits are putting U.S. autos through 175 million washes this year, the car-wash industry is growing at the rate of 15 million wash jobs a year. Still, fewer than 20% of the nation's 84 million cars are cleaned regularly by car washes, and the industry wants nothing more than to attract some of those unwashed millions. Its latest lure is the low-cost, coin-operated car wash, which is activated by quarters and operated by the motorist himself.

Final Polish. Despite overcrowding and high mortality in the industry, several hundred entrepreneurs have already opened coin-op car washes across the U.S. During the next year, the industry expects another 1,000 coin-ops to open, in addition to 250 more of the traditional conveyer-line or "tunnel" outfits. Johnson's Wax is putting the final polish on a plan to establish a nationwide chain of 300 car washes that will do everything--including applying a coat of wax--automatically. Continental Oil Co. (Conoco) has begun to test coin-ops in its Denver gas stations, could eventually attach them to stations in major cities all over the U.S. Humble, Shell and Gulf dealers have been installing British-made coin-ops. No fewer than 79 U.S. companies are now turning out the devices.

A few types use washing and drying tunnels through which a customer drives slowly after inserting three quarters, but the most common by far are the stalls into which a customer drives and stops his car. By inserting a quarter, he gets a five-minute jet stream of water and detergent through a high-pressure hose that he uses to spray the car. Another dime gets him a packet of lintless paper towels with which to dry the car, and yet another dime turns on a vacuum cleaner for the interior. Though quick and experienced washers can get away with one quarter, most find that it takes two or three to complete the job properly, also find that they need a bit of agility to keep their clothes dry. But whatever the system, it is cheaper than the average $1.50 to $2 cost of the tunnel washes: even with three quarters, the do-it-yourself washer pays only 95-c-.

Setting Up Vibrations. The coin-ops are aimed at attracting young people, lower-income groups, and longtime driveway polishers who have become sufficiently prosperous that they no longer want their neighbors to see them doing the job--yet not so prosperous that they want to spend $2 to clean up the car. The do-it-yourself outfits are so far concentrated in the Southwest, often appear in small towns, where their cost (average: $20,000) makes them far more practical than the high-volume tunnel washers (average cost: $200,000). New and better coin-ops are bound to come: next year a Florida company will begin producing a washer that directs a stream of pulsating water at a car. By setting up vibrations in the metal, it loosens the dirt and ensures that it all comes out in the wash.

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