IMO Car Wash

IMO Car Wash is one of the world's most trusted car wash brands, proudly washing millions of vehicles every year across more than 700 locations worldwide. Since opening its first site in Germany in 1965, the company has grown into a global leader in the car wash industry. The brand is owned by International Car Wash Group Limited (ICWG), which operates under multiple brands including ARC, GOO GOO 3, and Supersonic Car Wash in more than 14 countries with approximately 900 car wash locations, making it the world's largest car wash company. IMO Car Wash offers automatic drive-through car wash services, focusing on a fast, consistent, and great-value experience. The company develops its own products in-house, such as Triple Foam, Ultra HD, Ceramic XTR, and innovations in shine and protection. It uses soft foam brushes hand-crafted to protect paintwork. The brand has invested heavily in digital convenience, offering an app, subscriptions, and Quick Pay to make car washing easier for customers. IMO Car Wash operates primarily in Europe and Australia, with significant presence in Germany (around 350 wash tunnels), Austria (25 locations), and Switzerland (12 locations). The company's teams work to ensure every customer receives the same warm welcome and reliable results. Behind the scenes, IMO continues to evolve its sites with smarter technology, improved sustainability, efficient water-recycling systems, and energy-saving equipment. Ownership of IMO Car Wash has changed over the years. It was founded in 1965 as a licensee of patents from Weigele and Sulzberger in Germany. From 2006 to 2014, it was owned by The Carlyle Group, then sold to TDR Capital. In August 2020, ICWG was acquired by Driven Brands Inc., a publicly traded company on NASDAQ under the ticker DRVN. Today, IMO Car Wash continues to expand and innovate, celebrating 60 years of service in 2025.

IMO Car Wash was founded in 1965 in Germany as a licensee of patents from Weigele and Sulzberger. The company opened its first site in Germany that year, establishing a foundation built on a simple belief: life feels better in a car that's been cleaned with care. Over the following decades, IMO expanded across Europe, becoming one of the most recognized car wash brands. In 2006, the company, by then operating as International Car Wash Group Limited (ICWG), was acquired by The Carlyle Group. Under Carlyle's ownership, ICWG continued to grow its network. In 2014, Carlyle sold the company to TDR Capital, a European private equity firm. At that time, the company's headquarters was located in High Wycombe, United Kingdom. By the late 2010s, ICWG operated under multiple brands including IMO, ARC, GOO GOO 3, and Supersonic Car Wash, with approximately 900 car wash locations across more than 14 countries, making it the world's largest car wash company. In Germany alone, IMO operated around 350 wash tunnels across all 16 federal states, with a concentration in North Rhine-Westphalia (nearly 100 locations). In Austria, it operated 25 locations across 8 federal states, and in Switzerland, 12 wash locations. In August 2020, ICWG was acquired by Driven Brands Inc., a North American automotive services company publicly traded on NASDAQ under the ticker DRVN. This acquisition further solidified IMO's position in the global car wash market. Driven Brands continues to operate IMO Car Wash as a key brand within its portfolio. In 2025, IMO Car Wash celebrates 60 years of service. The company continues to invest in digital convenience (app, subscriptions, Quick Pay), sustainability (water-recycling systems, energy-saving equipment), and product innovation (Triple Foam, Ultra HD, Ceramic XTR). With teams across Europe and Australia, IMO remains committed to delivering a fast, consistent, and great-value experience to millions of customers every year.

• 2025

  Celebrates 60 years of service.

• 2020

  Acquired by Driven Brands Inc. in August.

• 2014

  Sold by Carlyle to TDR Capital.

• 2006

  Acquired by The Carlyle Group.

• 1965

  Founded in Germany as a licensee of patents from Weigele and Sulzberger; opens first site.

Fast, consistent, great-value car wash experience with a focus on digital convenience and sustainability.

• Triple Foam

  In-house developed car wash product.

• Ultra HD

  In-house developed car wash product.

• Ceramic XTR

  In-house developed car wash product for shine and protection.

• Unconfirmed

  Reported2020.08.10

  Driven Brands completes acquisition of ICWG[5]Driven Brands完成对ICWG的收购mobilityplaza.com

  Driven Brands announced that its acquisition of International Car Wash Group (ICWG) had been completed.

Read more

1. 1IMO Car Wash: Drive Through Automatic Car Wash Near Meimocarwash.com
2. 2About the Company | IMO Car Washimocarwash.com
3. 3IMO Car Wash - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4IMO Car Wash Group - Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
5. 5Driven Brands完成对ICWG的收购mobilityplaza.com