‘Gene Winfield, a hot rodder and prominent car customizer who built fanciful vehicles for “Star Trek,” “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.” and other television series and for films like “Blade Runner” and “Sleeper,” died on March 4 in Atascadero, Calif. He was 97.His son, Steve, said he died in an assisted living facility from metastatic melanoma. He had also been diagnosed with kidney failure.
Mr. Winfield began to attract national attention in the late 1950s with a two-door 1956 Mercury hard top called the Jade Idol.
According to the custom car website Kustorama, he transformed the Mercury for a customer by adding features like handmade fenders rolled in aluminum in the front end; headlight rings made from 1959 Chrysler Imperial Crown hubcaps; a television set integrated into a new dashboard; and a steering column taken from an Edsel.
Automobile magazine described the Jade Idol as having “a sharklike presence that represented a new direction in customs.”’
5 Likes
Thanks for the info. He was active customizing cars well into his 80s. IMO he was an artist.
2 Likes
Winfield was a legendary designer and customizer. And he could and did build his creations with his own hands.
He and George Barris changed the custom car landscape.
2 Likes
RIP Gene Winfield, truly one of the greatest of all time…
BTW, Gene was still painting cars at his longtime shop and customizing cars at age 93 at least, as well as teaching and doing signings and stuff, the man was a machine…
He was a good friend of car builder and customizer Ian Roussel of Full Custom Garage, and was a guest on multiple Full Custom Garage shows…
Here he is in S6 E13, date aired 5/9/2023, where he is doing his famous Winfield Fade paint job (age 93)… and again, still doing custom metal work and paint at the time…
https://go.discovery.com/video/full-custom-garage-motortrend-atve-us/part-2-the-packard-evolution
2 Likes
Saw him at iola car show few years ago. Show used to be less commercial. It’s all about making a buck now.