Fans and former colleagues of one of the most legendary hot-rod designers in the industry were saddened to learn of his death this week.

According to Deadline, Gene Winfield, described as a "pioneering legend in the hot-rod world who created custom cars for numerous films and TV shows," died at age 97.

Winfield has a long and distinguished resume, having designed custom vehicles for hits like "Star Trek" and "BladeRunner." He also designed customer cards for "RoboCop, Get Smart!"

According to an online obituary, Winfield died on March 4. The news came in the wake of his custom car shop, Winfield Custom Shop, posting news on Instagram that he was battling cancer.

Amazing career

Known in the business as “The King of Kustoms," Winfield was easily one of the best in the biz and was credited with designing some of the most memorable vehicles in Hollywood.

According to Deadline, some of his custom creations "include the iconic Galileo shuttlecraft and the Jupiter 8 for Star Trek — the latter seen in the episode 'Bread and Circuses' — and the 'spinners' for Blade Runner, which was nominated for the Special Effects Oscar."

Many will remember the gadget cars he designed for "Get Smart!" and "The Man from U.N.C.L.E."

Deadline noted:

His futuristic vehicles are seen in Back to the Future II, the original RoboCop, The Last Starfighter, Woody Allen’s Sleeper and others. Winfield’s cars also are seen in the Dirty Harry sequel Magnum Force, Bewitched, Ironside, TV’s Mission: Impossible and more.

Custom car designers from around the world paid tribute to Winfield and his iconic, trend-setting vehicles seen on millions of screens over the course of multiple decades.

Today, we lost not just a legend, but a great friend of the shop— Gene Winfield.

His impact on hot rodding was unmatched, shaping the industry with his artistry, innovation, and passion. pic.twit"ter.com/HdUwjcXCao

— Richard Ray Rawlings (@RRRawlings) March 4, 2025

Tributes pour in

Former colleagues, fans and admirers of his legendary work all weighed in on Winfield's passing.

"Wow quite the Loss for Custom Rods. Since I was a kid he had his mark on so many cars in the Movies and Shows I watched," one X user wrote.

Another X user wrote, "Sad news. I met Gene at the Portland Hot Rod show a few years ago. What a nice man and custom car designer/builder. He was indeed, a legend and innovator, a superb craftsman. RIP, good sir. I hope you are driving a nice custom 51 Mercury in Heaven."

Clearly, his legacy in the hot-rodding world will live on forever.