There are hand car washes, tunnel car washes, chemical car washes, steam car washes, self-service facilities and in-bay automatics; the ultimate goal of all these is to get your car clean and shining. But, why does the amount you shell out for the car wash differ for each of these? Let’s do a case study of the world’s most expensive car wash to discover the truth.
An accountancy graduate with an Indian origin offers the most expensive car wash in Britain. Did you know that? How much does he charge? A mighty £7,200 (approx. US $10,950) per car! Convert that into Indian rupees and you’ll be surprised to know that the car wash will cost you around Rs. 5,14,500. While the average Indian does not prefer spending that great an amount for purchasing a new car, do you think he would ever go for such an expensive car wash? What makes 30 year old Gurcharn Sahota’s car wash so special? Why is it so expensive?
The elite service involves the use of over 100 different cleaning fluids. The wax he uses costs £8,200 per tub (Rs. 5,85,935!). Just imagine! Each vehicle takes up to 250 hours to clean. He polishes the car inside and out five times. Then, he even uses a £5,000 (Rs. 3,57,278) police forensic microscope to detect minute scratches. Is that really necessary? This man washes supercars like Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Rolls Royce and the Le Mans-winning McLaren F1 GTR. So, these cars really are worth such a royal treatment.
Sahota started this business five years ago and see where he’s reached. That’s exactly where you can reach when you follow your heart and do something you’re passionate about. The detailing expert says, “When I was younger I washed neighbours’ cars and my dad’s car whenever I could. They never paid me; I loved it so much I did it for free. Things have built up from there and now I’m cleaning some of the fastest, most powerful sports cars in the world.”
Sahota has built a Formula One styled pit to wash the underside of the cars and has washed hundreds of supercars during the last five years. He says “People come to me and they want the best treatment going for their car. If you’ve got a £500,000 car then a few grand for cleaning is worth it. Sometimes I’ll work through the night to get a car looking absolutely pristine. They’re world class motors that deserve a world class wash.”
He adds, “I treat every car like an individual project, I want them to leave my workshop looking better than they have ever done. I have my processes which I go through and I am meticulous about each one. I just want perfection. Finishing is the best part because you know what it was like when you started. That gives me great satisfaction.”
Sahota runs his company “Elite Detailing” from his parents’ garage in Derby. He lives with his parents, Gurbinder, 55, and Amarjit, 53, in Derbyshire and he has converted the double garage into a workshop. The clients include rock stars, Premiership footballers, lawyers and actors.
