1964 - Car wash between factories.

Coffee-lady Casino with coffee machine. Budapest X. 1958 Albertirsai Road Fair, National Agricultural Exhibition and Fair. Image source.r

In the first days of August 1964, a state-of-the-art car wash was opened in the capital, on Budafoki Road in the 11th district, under the auspices of the Budapest Public Sanitation Office. With its attached café, landscaped forecourt and distinctly modern appearance, it was a far cry from the "rust belt" of Budafok Road in the mid-sixties. The interior is worth a special look in the Fortepanos photos, with a sandwich fridge, TV, radio, and the typical breaks "metlachi" with floor covering (black-white-rust-brown-light blue was usually the colour combination). Also interesting is the panel installation of the hall heating at a height of about 2.5-3 metres.

Budapest XI. Budafoki út 46-48., the car wash of the Budapest Public Sanitation Office. Image source.

The laundry was most likely located back from the current Rákóczi Bridge driveway, roughly opposite the old Tube Centre, now the MVM office building.

That particular crushed metlachi

Below you can read the announcement in the AM of 21 August 1964, in full. The author did not sign his paper:

♠

A car wash and a double

Yes, we can wait until the car is fixed and then we can have a double in the house café... Where? Well, since the first days of August here, in the 11th district, at Budafoki út 48. What is it exactly? Maybe we should call it a fast car wash, or a car wash, where the interior of the car is vacuum cleaned on request, and if the seat is covered with leatherette, it is washed with soapy water.

No, they don't do full service, they are not set up for that here. But on request, the battery and tyres will be checked and any minor problems will of course be rectified immediately.

Here, a state-owned M21 Volga is being beautified...

You can order the top wash with plain water, but they also wash with shampoo, and there is no problem mixing chemicals from anyone's "brought in" to the wash water.

...and here's a Ford Consul Cortina with Viennese plates

What does it cost? The price of a top wash is simple, i.e. water only, from 1.30 to 11.70 HUF, depending on whether it is a small car, a big car or a very big car. Interior cleaning - also depending on the size of the car and the engine capacity - costs between 8 and 13 HUF. For example, a battery and tyre check for a 500 cc car is 3,30 HUF, for a 2,5 litre car 4,70 HUF. Cleaning the upholstery or washing the leatherette or leather upholstery can cost between 10 and 16 HUF. Chemical top cleaning costs 14-17 HUF for smaller cars and 20-37 HUF for larger ones. Of course, the calculation is different again if you use your own chemicals to wash the car.

The car wash interior with TV, radio and crushed metlachi. A sausage roll from Chaba - 2,20 ft.

Maybe just that, in addition to the above, they will take on the washing and cleaning of caravans and microbuses, and in the future they may even expand their services.

Who is the owner of this great little farm? The Metropolitan Sanitation Authority. They were instructed by their superiors to set up this small car oasis on their own, and we are delighted to acknowledge its existence on behalf of both domestic and foreign motorists. We are not even angry about it, in fact, for our part, we take it for granted that foreigners can get a turn at the car wash, but here even the minutes of waiting can be pleasantly spent.

The waiting room. Image source: fortepan 126616 / Bauer Sándor

When are they open and for how long? From 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., and during this time they can take care of nearly 100 cars.

Thank you again for this exemplary initiative.