There’s no better way to welcome the changing of the seasons than to wheel out your project car and wash off a winter’s worth of built up dust. Sort of like an automotive spring cleaning after a long hibernation, that first car wash of Spring is a rite of annual passage.

Even if your pride and joy is completely spotless, who doesn’t like buffing all that chrome to a brilliant luster? No matter the occasion, there’s just something to the way your classic looks right after a good detail job, right?

Well, apparently Hollywood agrees. In fact, washing cars is such a favored past time, that the silver screen has included the process time and time again. Sure, we like to spend a Saturday morning cleaning up our rides as much as the next guy, but why the allure? Why have so many movies featured scenes washing cars?

It’s really a mystery.

Anyways, we thought we’d through together a fun collage of our favorite scenes from movies including the hallowed habit, as a celebration of these cars, the people who love them, and the people who – for whatever reason – love to watch them be washed.

Enjoy!

And, for honorable mention…