City residents of a certain age will remember when the car wash on South Main Street cost 99 cents. A man dispensed pennies in exchange for your dollar bill, and you could exit your vehicle and follow its progress through the tunnel by walking through a glassed-in corridor.
Young men at the end of the tunnel would wipe your vehicle dry, and a bucket invited “Tips for the Boys,” money shared evenly by all workers at the end of the shift.
The nearly 60-year-old car wash has had many names and about as many owners, and the latest owner is the national chain Russell Speeder’s, founded in Norwalk in 1963. In keeping with the times, Russell Speeder’s offers amenities that were scarce back in the day, such as free, do-it-yourself vacuuming, tire inflation and mat cleaning.
Ron Deimling, vice president of field marketing for all 32 locations in four states, including 12 in Connecticut, said toweling off your car after a wash is no longer necessary, because the powerful jets of air do a thorough drying job.
The property at 163/165 South Main St. contained private residences until the 1960s. City directories show that in 1965, Torrington Car Wash Corp. occupied the property. Subsequent owners named the business Kwik-N-Kleen, Wash & Dryve, Bubble Bath Car Wash, Torrington Car Wash (again), Torrington Soft Touch Car Wash, Personal Touch Car Wash & Detailing, Zom Car Wash and, most recently, Olympic Car Wash.
Russell Speeder’s acquired Olympic Car Wash in June 2023, according to a LinkedIn post by Stephanie Mak of Summit Wash Holdings, parent company of Russell Speeder’s. The Torrington location reopened in December 2023 after extensive renovations, according to Mak.
“We took out all the (old) equipment,” said Deimling. “The building may look the same, but the insides are not.”
A legal notice from Torrington’s Planning and Zoning Commission on Aug. 21, 2023, states that an engineering proposal for modifications included “upgraded vacuum stalls, installation of new pay stations, upgraded lighting, new drains and oil/water separator and other minor site upgrades.”
“We believe that car washing can be fun,” said Deimling. “We believe that you can come in and get your car washed and get that wash-and-go experience and not have to do all that stuff yourself. But there are a lot of people that really enjoy that art of taking care of their cars. We’re not going to kick you out if you want to spend an hour detailing your car.”
Jeff Lindquist, a Rocky Hill native, manages the Torrington location. He said it employs 10 people, mostly Torrington residents. Four employees are present at all times, including a manager, a pay station attendant, a tunnel guide, and someone to assist customers with do-it-yourself operations.
Car wash options include a basic wash-dry, a wash-dry-shine and a wash-dry-shine-protect, which includes tire shine, rain repellant, underbody wash, wax and pressure seal. Each service tier is available as a pay-as-you-go option or a member subscription. Membership is good at all locations and includes more than 20 other amenities, including doggie treats, according to a Russell Speeder’s handout.
“In this day and age, with technology, people are so overburdened with so many tasks, but how cool is it to take five minutes out of your day and get your car washed? It looks good, you feel good,” said Deimling.
“Car washing is a people business. We just don’t wash cars. That might be our primary job, but interacting with people is a big part.”