A bestseller celebrates its birthday

25 years of "NewCar" odor eliminator from REIMA AirConcept with an even better formula and a new look.

The odor eliminator with "NewCar Noble" and "NewCar Ambiente" new car fragrance is one of the classics in the REIMA AirConcept portfolio and is therefore the best-selling product for vehicle detailing.

How it all began:

25 years ago, our company founder and senior perfumer, Mr. Reißmann, had the idea, after experiencing a ride-sharing incident, to tackle the interior odors of cars. The trigger was the unpleasant smell in the vehicle in question, a strong mixture of stale cigarette smoke, sweat, and a few vanilla stalks dangling from the rearview mirror.

He asked himself how to resell such an odor-laden vehicle. Of course, well-equipped workshops and vehicle detailers have the appropriate tools, such as ozone devices, but not the average car owner. When a vehicle is up for sale, things sometimes have to move quickly, especially since, as we all know, the nose is part of the buying process.

A fortunate circumstance was that at exactly that time, a new, highly effective odor absorber was being developed by a major chemical company and offered to us by a supplier.

Now it was time to create the right scent for cars. It definitely shouldn't be a "green apple," "vanilla," or "coconut" scent. Rather, it should be a scent that fits the car theme, or even better, a "new car scent." This turned out to be much more difficult than initially expected. There are more than 100 car brands, plus the many different models and optional extras. In addition, every component in a car has its own characteristic smell. Plastic trim, rubber mats, door and headliner panels, etc., can sometimes have foul-smelling odors from softeners. Even the finest nappa leather doesn't always smell the same, as does synthetic leather and the various upholstery materials. So, how can one achieve an acceptable result and develop a scent that meets all requirements?

So Mr. Reißmann conducted appropriate studies and, one could say, sniffed out dozens of cars, both new and used, unsettling many a car salesman with his request to simply smell the interior of the vehicle.

In the fall of 1999, he encountered keen interest at a luxury car dealership in Düsseldorf, which at the time was also one of the largest used car dealers in Germany. Almost every car dealer is familiar with the odor problems of many used cars and knows the "stinkers" at their car lot. Based on this constructive collaboration and numerous attempts, he found a solution. While he was well aware that there wouldn't be a perfect new car scent for all models, a compromise was found. They agreed on two versions: one scent for vehicles with fabric interiors and one for high-end cars with leather interiors.

The NewCar Car Scent with Odor Eliminator project was born and could be implemented. Our perfumer, Mr. Reißmann, spent many hours in his laboratory, and by the beginning of 2000, the "NewCar" product line was firmly integrated into the REIMA AirConcept product range under the REIMAIR label.

Although the initial focus was solely on effective and thorough odor removal, we were able to offer a fresh, slightly technical touch for vehicles with textile interiors under the name "Ambiente," and a refined touch of leather, walnut, and cedar for vehicles with leather interiors under the name "Noble." This made the products ideal for use in professional vehicle detailing. At that time, distribution was handled by a company in Bünde, Westphalia, and initially supplied exclusively to commercial vehicle detailers and car rental companies.

In 2001, we took over the sale of our products ourselves again so that we could continue to supply private customers. We consciously decided against selling our products in retail stores. During price negotiations and sales conditions, we realized that in order to meet the wishes of our dealers, this could also be at the expense of the quality of our products.

Media reports:

For the first time, in January 2000, the Zwickau regional newspaper "Freie Presse" reported extensively in its full edition on the innovative new car fragrance "NewCar," a fragrance developed by REIMA under the headline "Obsessed with the hunt for bad air." It literally read: "Jens E. Reißmann makes used cars smell like new." "His car fragrance turns a Trabant into a Jaguar."

Various TV and radio reports on this topic followed in the media at the time. The internet was not yet widespread, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, etc. had not yet been invented, and Amazon still exclusively sold books.

In February 2000, the MDR "Sachsenspiegel" broadcast a detailed television report on new car fragrance with REIMA odor eliminator. The MDR camera team reported extensively on this topic at a car dealership in the Zwickau region. Mr. Reißmann answered questions, and the owner also reported on the positive effects of the "NewCar" odor killer in an interview.

In September 2001, the "Frankfurter Allgemeine" newspaper wrote in its Motor Market, New Car Scent Retrospective section: Anyone who wants to give their used car a fresh scent before selling it can try the NewCar "Ambiente" and NewCar "Noble" fragrance sprays.

In October 2001, the magazine "mot" (Autos Test Technik) wrote in its issue: "In contrast to commercially available air fresheners, the "sniffers" from REIMA aimed to capture the characteristic odor of a new car as best as possible."

AUTO Straßenverkehr wrote in December 2001: "Cold smoke, musty upholstery - unpleasant odors quickly permeate a car. ...In an AUTO test, NewCar from Reimair freed a car that had been standing unused for a long time in a damp garage from its stench.

In June 2014, REIMA's "NewCar Odor Eliminator" was the test winner in one of the most widely read magazines, "Auto Motor Sport," in the test category: Odor Eliminator with Instant Effect, beating renowned companies such as Meguir's, Sonax, Febreze, and others.

In summary, the NewCar Ambiente and NewCar Noble new car sprays were pioneers in vehicle detailing at the time. Often copied, they have lost none of their quality even after 25 years and are still among the best-selling odor eliminators for vehicle detailing.

On the contrary, in 2025, these products will not only be released in a new packaging, but their odor-absorbing effectiveness will be further improved. The NewCar Ambiente odor eliminator comes with a new fragrance formula under the name "NewCar Motion." Our NewCar Premium Leather Fragrance also complements our Car Collection. This, too, features a modern design and improved intensity.

Continue to trust the experts to ensure your vehicle smells clean and classy after every NewCar application.