Gene Winfield, legendary Hollywood car designer, dies at 97

Gene Winfield will not be giving Hollywood the best sci-fi cars they have seen.

The legendary hot-rod builder and custom car designer behind some of Hollywood’s most futuristic vehicles, has passed away at the age of 97. 

Known as “The King of Kustoms,” Winfield left an unforgetable mark on film and television with his one-of-a-kind creations, from Blade Runner's sleek "spinners" to Star Trek's legendary Galileo shuttlecraft.

His passing on March 4 was confirmed by an obituary on Legacy. Winfield’s Custom Shop had shared in late February that he had been battling cancer.

Winfield’s resume reads like a sci-fi and action fan’s dream garage. 

His custom builds appeared in RoboCop, Back to the Future Part II, The Last Starfighter, Magnum Force, and even the quirky futuristic world of Woody Allen’s Sleeper. 

He brought his innovative touch to classic TV as well, designing vehicles for Get Smart!, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Bewitched, Ironside, and Mission: Impossible.

Of course, Star Trek fans will forever associate him with the Galileo shuttlecraft and the Jupiter 8, seen in the episode Bread and Circuses. And let’s not forget his Batman contribution—the unforgettable Catmobile.

Winfield was the subject of The Legendary Custom Cars and Hot Rods of Gene Winfield, a 2008 book by David Grant, and featured in the King of Kustoms DVD series in the mid-2010s.

Though he may be gone, Gene Winfield’s legacy lives on—whether it’s in a Hollywood blockbuster, a classic TV episode, or the next generation of car builders he inspired. 

After all, not everyone can say they left their mark on both the silver screen and the streets.