When did car detailing become a thing?

A couple I know are sorta retired. He had two independent auto-parts places, which he now employs a guy to manage. His wife used to work for him, she’s retired now also.

So they do their “hobby” to keep busy; detailing cars. He does the outsides, she does the interiors. They do beautiful work. My gf has her car and truck done twice a year. I haul wet, dirty dogs in my Jeep, it would be embarrassing to allow them to look at my vehicle. I was doing the math in my head. They charge $100 - $200 per vehicle, cash only, have a waiting list, and aren’t taking new customers.

So, when did “detailing” become a thing? I do not remember it from my youth.

Ermmmm, car detailing?

When I was a youth, the first summer that we got our driver’s license, my friend and I decided to open a car wash & detail. We got space at a neighborhood gas station and auto-repair shop. We spent out summer washing and detailing cars and were busy on all the nice days. That was in the very early 1980’s. Perhaps we’re to blame for it becoming a thing?

It’s extensive, detailed cleaning of the interior and exterior of a vehicle. Been a thing since I could drive, but that was the early 90s.

Yeah, they wash/wax/touch-up scratches on the exterior. Inside they deep clean everything, removing knobs to clean behind them, etc.

It was another pseudo-rich thing from the 80’s. Once only really rich people could afford a chauffeur to live above the garage and simonize the car all day, until he simonized Simmons (Jean), who distracted him with plans to cut the brakes and kill Herbert Marshall. But then the Yuppies came along demanding their cars be cleaned with Q-tips

Judging from the several car detailing YouTube channels I’ve seen spring up over the past 2 years, it seems to be getting more and more popular lately. The car washing choices I see around me typically require me to vacuum out my own car, and few that I’ve seen offer a worker cleaning up the interior. And so far, none of the services include wet-vacuuming of the interior upholstery.

So, yeah, I’d pay to get my car detailed if I could. I’m glad OP’s friends have found this business niche. I see it as a rare “win” in bringing back manual labor as a service, now that we are pretty far long into the age of automating everything.

My sister spent a summer detailing cars between jobs way back in the '80s. It’s been a thing for decades.

I had a friend in HS who did that as his part-time job; made better $ than anyone working the normal teenager jobs.

Also had a friend who had a detailing business 20 years ago. Owned a nice house & had a few guys working for him (before cancer took him…& the business)

I’ve considered having my car detailed, perhaps annually. One problem is that it takes hours, so usually you drop the car off for the day. That’s inconvenient.

Yeah, the couple we know has your car for a day.

The Delta Queen Car Wash in Campbell, which been around since the 60s, has offered higher-end cleaning options for as long as I can remember. They may not have called it “detailing” but things like carnuba wax, scratch removal,clear coat/sealing, floor mat shampooing,seat cleaning and interior Armor All protectant have been offered there for a long time.

I’ve seen mobile detailing businesses advertising for as long as I can remember. A lot of car washes offer it as an add-on. I knew some people who did it on the side back in the '90s along with things like car audio and security installations. I know a few car guys who keep their stuff immaculate, but it seems to be a middle-class mom/dad type thing, too. It seemed to coincide with the need for regular middle-class people to have luxury SUVs and trucks that served no real purpose other than to look good (hence keeping them well washed and detailed, too) but I could be wrong.

It’s been a couple of years since I’ve had my car detailed, but it’s really nice to do once a year or so. If I detail it myself, it takes about 4 hours for me to get the interior immaculate, and I probably don’t do quite as good a job as the pros. Around here, last time I went, it was $100 for detailing, which was well worth the price for me (I have a 2014 Mazda 3.) It’s a wonderful feeling stepping back into what seems like a brand new car.

$100-200 seems pretty cheap if it takes two people all day. Hopefully they are getting in a few a day.

Anyway, I remember it from way back when. When we get our next new vehicle, I would like to start this to keep on top of the grime. Like you, we haul dogs in ours and I would be embarrassed at this point.

I think that’s a big part of the appeal; the feeling that the car is new and fresh.

I had a college roommate who left to become a car detailer in 1972*, So I can vouch for it being a thing in northern California in the early 70s.

*He was already a serious car hobbyist - had a nicely restored Studebaker.

They’re doing this in and alongside their two car garage, while their classic cars are on the road. They could do several a day, but they schedule one car/truck one or two days a week. It’s a leisurely day.

Yeah, I removed the back seat from my Wrangler the day I brought it home. Dog hair, mud, creek water, dog vomit, etc, never ever cleaned. I love my car, but she’s filthy.

Yes this is an odd thing. I haven’t waxed my 11 year old car in probably 7 years - not counting drive through car washes which include “waxing”.
I have always known guys who do their own cars at least full detail once per month but they were the exception. I too have seen the Youtube videos and wondered about the “waterless” washing which is just for people who already pretty much mostly have a clean car.
I think the youtube issue is mostly coming from the product sponsers which are looking for more exposure. I have a friend who sends me the occasional tiktok video and they have their share of detailing tips as well.

The detailers I have been watching on YT are milking the new paradigm for all its worth:

  • The videos show how good and thorough they are, which gives their business good exposure
  • They sell their own private-branded (most likely relabeled) cleaning fluids and brushes in the videos and in the descriptive info (buy now links etc.), to capture some additional revenue
  • The more popular ones enjoy the additional revenue stream from YT for the videos.