Autobead is a British car care brand with a range that covers the wash, wheels and tyres, polishing, protection and interior care. The Drivers HQ is the exclusive UK reseller of Autobead, and this guide explains the range by job, using Autobead's own product descriptions, so you can choose the right products for your car. You can also browse the full Autobead range.
Where can you buy Autobead in the UK?
The Drivers HQ is the exclusive UK reseller of Autobead. You can order Autobead products online with UK-wide delivery, or collect them from our store in Ilkeston, Derbyshire. The guide below explains the range by job, from Ceramic Shampoo to the Downforce pads and compounds, so you can pick the right products for your car.
What is Autobead?
Autobead is a British detailing brand: Autobead Ltd is registered in Witney, Oxfordshire. Autobead says its products are developed by its chemist and detailers together, with real world testing and input from leading professionals in the industry.
The Autobead range by job
Every product below is in stock with us, and every claim comes from Autobead's own product pages.
Washing and drying
- Autobead Ceramic Shampoo: Autobead says its ceramic molecules bond to the surface, so regular use builds up extra layers of ceramic protection. It is made to work with Autobead's waxes and coatings, and it also cleans and adds instant protection on unprotected paint. Use 3 to 4 capfuls in a 15 litre bucket of warm water.
- Autobead Ceramic Quick Detailer: a blend of nano ceramic particles and reactive polysiloxanes that adds a layer of ceramic protection lasting about 6 months, on paintwork, glass, plastics, wheels and trims. Autobead lists it for dry surfaces or as a drying aid, and suggests a layer after washing with its Ceramic Shampoo.
- Autobead Quick Detailer: a polymer based quick detailing spray for after the wash. Autobead says it safely removes dust, fingerprints, smudges and smears, adds clarity and gloss, and tops up existing wax.
Protection
- Autobead Spray Sealant: a blend of silicone polymers and silica resins that Autobead rates at 9 months of durability on paintwork and wheels, as an alternative to its waxes. Spray it onto a microfibre, work it in straight lines on a clean, dry surface, leave it 1 minute to bond, then buff with a short pile microfibre.
Wheels, tyres and decontamination
- Autobead Tyre Dressing: a gel-based, anti-sling sealant with high quality silicone that dresses tyre rubber and protects it from UV rays and cracking. Apply it with a foam applicator to a clean tyre wall, keep it off the tread, and add a second layer for a higher gloss.
- Autobead Tar Gel: a gel that dissolves tar spots on paintwork, with less run off and less drying out than a liquid, so less product is needed. Autobead says it is less aggressive than its Glue and Tar Remover and advises against using it on plastics or rubber. Spray it onto the tar on a washed, dry car and rinse it off with a pressure washer before it dries.
- Autobead All Purpose Cleaner: a concentrate for engine bays, door shuts, wheel arch linings, tyre rubber and interior plastics, carpet and upholstery. Outside, Autobead gives 5:1 for heavy soiling, 10:1 for medium and up to 30:1 for light. It may strip wax and sealant if used undiluted, and it is not for leather.
Machine polishing
- Autobead Downforce Foam Pads, in Heavy Cut, Medium Cut and Fine Cut: a dual foam design that Autobead says has immense heat resistance, keeping the foam firmer for longer, with a dense backing for more downward pressure and better rotation. For DA and rotary machines.
- Autobead Heavy Cut Compound: for deep scratches, buffer trails and sanding marks up to 1500 grade.
- Autobead Medium Cut Compound: for swirl marks and sanding marks up to 2500 grade, and suitable as a one-step correction polish.
- Autobead Finishing Compound: an ultra-fine polish for light swirls, holograms and 3000 grit sanding marks, for a deep, jewelled finish.
Autobead makes all three compounds silicone free with no fillers, for all paint types. Our DA polisher guide explains how the pads and compounds fit together.
Interior
- Autobead Leather Cleaner: a pH neutral cleanser and conditioner that Autobead lists as safe for all leather types, keeping leather supple to help prevent cracking. Spray it onto the leather, avoiding the stitching, agitate with a soft detailing brush, let the foam absorb, then wipe with a clean, damp cloth. Autobead suggests using it monthly.
Autobead products compared
Figures are Autobead's own, as shown on each product page.
| Product | Job | Autobead says | Sizes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ceramic Shampoo | Contact wash | Builds ceramic protection with regular use | 500ml |
| Ceramic Quick Detailer | Drying aid and top up | About 6 months of ceramic protection | 500ml |
| Quick Detailer | After the wash | Removes dust and fingerprints, tops up wax | 500ml |
| Spray Sealant | Protection | About 9 months on paint and wheels | 500ml |
| Tyre Dressing | Tyres | Anti-sling gel, UV and cracking protection | One size |
| Tar Gel | Tar removal | Gel for less run off, not for plastics or rubber | 500ml |
| All Purpose Cleaner | Interior and exterior | 5:1 to 30:1 outside, not for leather | 1L |
| Downforce Foam Pads | Machine polishing | Heat resistant dual foam, DA or rotary | 3 inch, 5 inch |
| Heavy Cut Compound | Heavy correction | Sanding marks up to 1500 grade | 1L |
| Medium Cut Compound | Correction or one step | Sanding marks up to 2500 grade | 1L |
| Finishing Compound | Finishing | 3000 grit sanding marks, holograms | 500ml, 1L |
| Leather Cleaner | Leather | pH neutral cleanser and conditioner | 500ml |
Where should you start with Autobead?
For a clean, protected finish after every wash, start with Ceramic Shampoo for the contact wash and Ceramic Quick Detailer as the drying aid, which is the pairing Autobead itself suggests. Add Tyre Dressing to finish the wheels, and Spray Sealant when you want longer protection. For paint correction, choose the Downforce pad and compound for the job, from Heavy Cut down to Finishing.
Is Autobead safe on ceramic coatings and wax?
Autobead makes Ceramic Shampoo to work with its waxes and coatings and to help maintain and prolong them, and it describes Ceramic Quick Detailer as a companion to its own ceramic coatings and hard detailing waxes, prolonging their life. All Purpose Cleaner is different: Autobead warns it may strip wax and sealant if used undiluted, so dilute it as directed on painted surfaces.
Need help choosing?
Tell the TDHQ team what you drive and what you want to achieve, and we will point you to the right Autobead products. You can also browse the whole Autobead range we stock.
Last updated 30 September 2026.
