Car Wash M&A Activity Picks Up as Asking Prices Moderate
Amplify Capital, acting as financial adviser, facilitated approximately $450 million of car‑wash transactions in the second quarter of 2026. The deals covered around 400 locations, which works out to just over $1.1 million per site. Amplify is also advising multiple car‑wash chains that together represent more than $500 million of transaction value, reflecting improved market conditions as participants gain clearer expectations around interest rates and capital‑market funding.
The per‑store transaction price of just over $1.1 million marks a significant decline from the late 2010s and early 2020s, when individual car‑wash assets often commanded prices exceeding $5 million. This price moderation coincides with a rise in transaction volume; in 2025, Car Wash Advisory reported that roughly 660 car‑wash locations changed hands over the entire year, whereas the Q2 2026 activity already involves 400 locations.
In a notable acquisition, Whitewater Express purchased eight Sparkle Express locations in Georgia and South Carolina. The purchase expands Whitewater’s footprint to 154 car‑wash sites across eight states.
The article also references activity in related automotive service sectors. PGW Auto Glass, a private‑equity‑owned firm based in Pennsylvania with more than 160 branches in the United States and Canada, acquired Windshield Surgeons, a Canadian windshield‑repair and replacement operator. PGW’s earlier 2024 acquisition of the Canadian distributor PH Vitres d’Autos from Driven Brands (NASDAQ:DRVN) is also noted.
PitCrew, a technology provider, is introducing artificial‑intelligence‑driven monitoring to quick‑lube operations. Its system links to camera feeds and tracks service start times, job duration, queue length, and customer departures. A 66‑store Jiffy Lube franchisee has deployed the solution after a pilot, with customers reporting a minimum 10 percent improvement in speed and overall efficiency.
Separately, Rhode Island is poised to raise the total‑loss threshold for automobile insurers from 80 percent to 85 percent. The higher threshold would require more vehicles to be repaired rather than declared total losses, potentially adding roughly $1 million to insurers’ payout obligations in the state.
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