Quite a nice celebration of greatness and send-off to Gene by everyone...He was quite the Artist and he sure did the walk...big-time! I like so many of the works shared with his expertise involved. It's truly part of the big beautiful culture that is Vintage Hotrod/Custom. So, may the Fade Aways, Pearls and Metal Flake color the big sky along with your notable near endless spirit that will live on and on...
I haven't posted here in a while but this was such sad news. Even at his advanced age, during the last 5 to 10 years, Gene was looking great and attending more shows, events, and putting on more metal fabricating seminars than ever. I've followed his Instagram for years. Saw his rather quick decline recently. I met him twice, once at the New England Summer Nationals in CT in 2013, he was 85 then, and again in 2017 at the Boston World of Wheels show where he chopped a 50s Merc. He was 89 then. Chatted with him, took pics with him at each show, and got to take some pics of him working on the Merc. Glad I got his autograph on a photo of his old shop.
I'm sure I'm not the only one he told about the secret to his long life "I don't drink I don't smoke, I don't eat meat but I do eat a lot of pu**y"
Not sure if all these were mentioned; but an interesring article regardless... https://www.hemmings.com/stories/a-...curring 2025-03-06&utm_term=eDaily Newsletter
Winfield's Custom Shop created a huge body of work everything from mild to wild! Gene's personal 50 Mercury does it for me. RIP sir!
To say Gene was inspirational would be an understatement. All the buzz around Detroit was that Gene’s time was a matter of days and we wondered if he’d pull another hat trick… Here’s to you Gene, may you rest in peace! “Never Gonna Fade Away” and speaking of inspired by. This doesn’t match up to Genes true creations but it it pays homage to his asymmetrical customs, concept car creations and that famous Winfield fade…(paint not hair)
I hope that I can properly say what I mean, so here is my comment. It you look at some customs, They appear to be gaudy or some of the customization seems to be just added on for points. they were not added in a cohesive or symmetrical way or as a solid vision. Winfield's cars that are pictured are so well thought out and appear to all 'flow' in a way that appears to the viewer that the car was produced or manufactured that way.
Our Heros are leaving us. It was inevitable but that doesn't reduce the loss. His contribution to our culture is immeasurable, and his efforts to pass his knowledge on to others will likely never be matched. Never as flashy as the self-promoting Barris or as wild as Roth, he built cars. And his output was phenomenal. I never had the opportunity to meet him, my loss. I could only admire his body of work. His all-too-common travails at the end is just a blip in a life fully lived. Very few can match his accomplishments. Well done, Mr. Winfield. Well done...
I think this picture is from 2016. Gene stopped by our booth at LARS in Pomona. I was telling him how much I liked his “Pacifica” truck, he said “Let’s go for a ride “ so we cruised up and down the isles of the swap meet. He was looking for an early Ford rear housing to make a clock ! We didn’t get very before the girls were stopping us to talk to Gene. What a charmer! I have to say the high point of to the Father’s Day roadster show was hanging with him! Turlock swap meet , Bonneville and even the Mojave Mile , we have raced together. Truly an inspiration on how to treat your fellow man. Something that seems lost in today’s world for many. You will be missed.
I don't use the word "hero", I'm not the type to really look upto anyone but if there was a famous person who I admired more than anyone else it would be Gene Winfield. I met him at the Seattle Rod & Custom show when I was about 14 years old. I was just walking around, stopped at his booth and we just started BSing about cars. He invited me to sit down and he spent about an hour just shooting the shit with some kid about old cars. He treated me just like an adult and was super interested in the fact that by 12 I had already welded my first subframe into a 56 F100. We talked about cars we liked and what we would change on some of the cars sitting around us. At 14 I knew of him but didn't know how important to most car guys he was. There was no autograph or picture, just some car stories, a handshake and a great memory! R.I.P. Gene!
Well Gene certainly influenced me. I learned to blend paint jobs while still in my High School vocational auto body program. This continued during my painting career blending and fading many paint jobs. After acquiring my off topic 1968 Chrysler 300 convertible I discovered it was a one-year body style based on Gene Winfield's 1966 300X. I have now owned this car for over 20 years. It had a flat blended pearl topped paint job for many years painted in my driveway. I knew I wanted to repaint it as a shiny blended paintjob but was put off by the reality that paint work of that much time and effort would not be the caliber the car deserved if I was to attempt it in the driveway again. Thankfully, after asking around I found a sympathetic body shop owner to rent me their booth for a weekend so I could try it again (Thank You Brian!) Here are photos of Gene's original 300X (from carstyling.ru) So, for "Todays" automakers and car stylists saying how "Groundbreaking" their car design skills and ideas are, they are full of it as Gene Winfield and the Chrysler designers and engineers had already pulled it off way back in 1966! Yoke steering? Back seat screens to entertain the kiddies? Video screen in the dashboard? Keyless entry? Video images for the outside of the car? Well, here is proof regarding some of the groundbreaking ideas Gene was responsible for over his incredible lifetime.
Photos taken on the 17th April 2012..... Not sure who Merc it was...? That was just chopped but i snapped some photos... The Econoline " Pacifica " Was in the booth being painted also on this day.... Was..... ment to chop my 1955 Cadillac but we never got around to doing it You will be missed Gene Winfield ...... Due to the end being a bit murky.... I was not able to contact Gene... Any one know what happened to the Pexto tool stand with all the Home made Dollies..???
Gene was a true car guy all his life, quick with a smile, and quick to share knowledge, a fun guy to be around and share stories,... In the race of life Gene had a very long run, But he will be sorely missed. So long Gene....
Always admired Gene's creative ability. Enjoyed the times I got to talk to him at Detroit Autorama and Syracuse Nationals the past 20 plus years. He actually took an interest in projects and progress that I was working on. In 2016 when he visited our area and came to a local cruise night, he offered to sign the dash on my custom 56 ElCamino and a friend's custom 58 Pontiac. Funny Gene memory years ago at Cobo Hall. Late in the day my Son and I took another walk in the lower level and there was Gene alone by the car they were chopping during the weekend event. We said hello and he brought us over to the car and gave a detailed tour on the different steps used to accomplish the chop. When he was done, he offered to take a picture with us. We thanked him and he immediately said, how about the ladies? My Daughter-in-law and her friend came over and had a picture with Gene. As we left, my Daughter-in-law was laughing and said, he grabbed my butt! Thank you, Gene, for your influence and creative ability you have shared with so many over the years.
I think if you were to try and sum up Mr. Winfield’s life in the hot rod and Custom community you could fill a book or two with all of his accomplishments. Which is a lot when you consider that he was still building into his 90’s . For me, he’s always going to be a very humble man who inspired so many people young and old ( whoops! I shouldn’t call you guys old) . So when you see a custom think of Mr. Winfield, if you see a fade paint job, think of Mr. Winfield. I suspect that he is, along with some other custom heroes, building something even now. So, when you have a moment, raise a glass and say thank you Mr. Winfield, for all that you did for us.
Damn, that is a cool car to have as a favorite in your mind! I have never seen that one, he was a true master at his craft and being able to see and then build what was in his head. He did shape the hobby indeed.
RIP Gene. If memory serves me, Gene and Co did the cars for the org Mad Max movie. VW Bob worked for him at the time, said they were all VW (gasp) chassis and bolt ons.
The Jalopy Journal
