Gene Winfield

Who is Gene Winfield?

Gene Winfield is an American automotive customizer. In the mid-1960s, his designs caught the attention of the film community, resulting in a large body of his work being seen on screen, including in the iconic 1982 film Blade Runner.

Growing up in Modesto, California, Winfield was exposed to auto body shops and auto racing, including driving 135 mph in a Ford Model T at Bonneville Speedway in 1951. He soon opened a business in Modesto, Winfield's Custom Shop. An early innovation was the blended custom paint, where the two colors are carefully faded together

Building on his experience, in 1962, Winfield joined Aluminum Model Toys as a consultant style designer for their model kits. AMT hired him in 1966 to manage the new Phoenix, Arizona based Speed and Custom Division Shop, which built full scale cars as promotional vehicles. After AMT, closed this division in 1971, Winfield has continued work in the custom auto body field in Southern California and appears as honored guest at auto related events in the US.