Gene Winfield, who was known in Hollywood as “The King of Kustoms,” has died after a battle with cancer. He was 97.
Winfield was known for creating custom vehicles for use in movies and TV shows, including Blade Runner, Star Trek, RoboCop, Get Smart!, Batman, and countless more.
Videos by PopCulture.com
He was born in 1927 in Springfield, MO and moved to Modesto, California at a young age. Winfield was already working on cars at the age of 10, which turned into a lifelong love for all things vehicular.
His best known works are the “spinner” vehicles in Blade Runner, which were nominated for a Special Effects Oscar, and the iconic Galileo space shuttle and Jupiter 8 sports car from the original Star Trek series.
More of his futuristic vehicles can be seen in classics like Back to the Future, RoboCop, and The Last Starfighter. He also built the Catmobile in the Batman live-action TV show, and various gadget-related cars for The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Mission: Impossible and Get Smart! during their TV runs.
Other examples of his work include Sleeper, Ironside, Bewitched, Magnum Force, and plenty more.
A book about his famous cars, The Legendary Custom Cars and Hot Rods of Gene Winfield, released in 2008 and a series about his work, The King of Kustoms, ran in the 2010s.
Most Viewed
-
A defocused police car sits behind crime scene tape with flashing lights at night. (Getty Images/iStockphoto) -
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 20: Bijou Phillips attends the World Premiere of "Infinite Icon: A Visual Memoir" at AMC The Grove 14 on January 20, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic) -
Side-by-side: Images of Tim Allen, Stefan Gossler and Jackie Chan (Credit: Christian JENTZ/Gamma-Rapho // Franziska Krug/Getty Images // Stephane Cardinale/Corbis) -
WINDSOR, UNITED KINGDOM – APRIL 20: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 24 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Prince Andrew, Duke of York attends the traditional Easter Sunday Mattins Service at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle on April 20, 2025 in Windsor, England. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images) -
Joe Tenta, Josephine Tenta, Joanna Tenta, John Jr Tenta, Fred Ottman and son induct the Natural Disasters during WWE 2025 Hall of Fame at BleauLive Theater at Fontainebleau Las Vegas on April 18, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Eric Johnson/WWE via Getty Images)
