My Automotive Story

My love for cars started when I was just a little kid. My dad owned a body shop, and I’d help him out—at first sanding and taping cars to get them ready for paint. Before long, I was painting and polishing them myself. I guess you could say I grew up with grease on my hands and a passion for making cars look their best.

In 1986, I joined the Marine Corps. Even while serving, I kept detailing cars—wherever I was stationed, whether it was Japan, Korea, or here in the States. I didn’t even own a car at the time, so I’d detail other Marines’ vehicles in exchange for getting to drive them. That’s how much I loved it.

After I got out, I went to work at Hill and Vaughn, a world-famous restoration shop in Marina del Rey. I was lucky enough to become the personal detailer for Phil Hill, a legendary race car driver. I got to work on incredible cars, some with historic significance, and plenty that belonged to major celebrities.

By the early ‘90s, I decided to step out on my own. I started small, just helping body shops and dealers that didn’t have their own detailer. At first, I called my business Fernandez Detailing. But one day, after I finished a job, a client looked at his car and said, “Wow, that’s a superior shine.” The name stuck, and Superior Shine was officially born in 1992.

Since then, I’ve had the honor of working on just about everything you can imagine—from everyday family cars to exotics, supercars, RVs, and even historically significant vehicles and aircraft such as presidential limousines, Air Force One planes, Marine One helicopters, and WWII fighters and bombers. Along the way, I’ve also trained detailers from around the world and stayed connected with the industry’s top brands to make sure we’re always at the cutting edge of processes and products.

My dream is to one day become self-sufficient enough with high-end detailing customers to be capable of owning a zebra.