A Brief History of the American Car Wash
Pimping Your Auto
The history of American car washes now covers nearly a century based on published history; however, any exact (depending on the source) dates are confusing with dates for some developments, most commonly dates for introduction of advancements in the technology, often claimed by various company websites. 1900s to 1930s - By newspaper accounts, the first commercial car wash opened in Detroit in 1914. In essence it a manual wash where the customer's car was pushed around a circle to stations for the various phases of washing, a sort of "Merry-Go-Round.
Source: Automotive:Car-Detailing-Customization