Gene Winfield, the legendary American automotive customizer renowned for his contributions to hot rodding and custom car building, passed away on March 4, 2025, at 97.
Highlights
- Gene Winfield, an American custom car builder, designer, and Dry Lakes racer, passed away on March 4, 2025, at the age of 97.
- Gene Winfield is survived by his wife, daughter Nancy, and children.
- Gene Winfield’s death was caused by health complications from old age and his battle with recently found cancer.
Gene Winfield’s Instagram account announced his demise, and many friends wrote obituaries about him.
On his X account, Richard Ray Rawlings, owner of GasMonkeyGarage, writes,
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.
Richarf Ray Rawlings
Similarly, the performance racing industry remembers Gene’s skills and incredible knowledge about cars, stating,
Unfortunately, another automotive icon has passed on. Gene Winfield, known for transforming normal cars into unique Hot Rods and film cars, has departed. Gene, your legacy will live on through the amazing vehicles you’ve built and designed.
Performance Racing Industry
Known as “Windy” amongst friends, Gene began restyling cars in a chicken coop behind his mother’s house in Modesto, California, after WWII.
Furthermore, over nearly eighty decades, he became one of the most influential figures in the world of custom cars, pioneering his signature fadeaway paint jobs.
Moreover, in the mid-1960s, his designs caught the film community’s attention, resulting in a large body of his work appearing on screen, including in the iconic 1982 film Blade Runner.
Gene Winfield’s Wife And Children Mourn His Passing; Tributes Pour In from Close Ones
Gene Winfield was the most loveable person among his known ones. Most of the people who have known Gene as an acquaintance or as a friend admired him.
Now, the demise of Gene has sent shockwaves to them, and his family members are in profound grief.
Moreover, his loving wife and children are mourning the loss, and they have requested to keep Gene in their prayers.
Gene Winfield was closer to his daughter Nancy, about whom he often posted on his social media account, and frequently visited on birthdays or holidays.
Nancy Winfield works as a private tutor and a substitute teacher at Centinela Valley Union High School District.
Gene Winfield’s daughter graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and has worked as a teacher since then.
On the other hand, Gene Winfield’s wife is barely featured on his official social profile, though she is frequently acknowledged in Gene’s appreciation posts.
One of Gene’s close friends has mentioned that his wife is likely in her early 90s. Similarly, she is under the caretaker’s care.
Furthermore, one of the obituary posts of Gene Winfield by Sophie Marie mentions his wife, writing,
I just learned the saddest news: This legend of a man has left us for the other realm. I’ll never forget getting the honour of attend his 90th Birthday Party, getting to sing him Happy Birthday, giving him big hugs, sitting on his lap for a photo at his request, and best part of all, watching him dance with his loving wife to rockabilly music.
Sophie Marie
Gene Winfield Passed Away Following Health Complications And A Battle With Cancer
On February 17, 2025, Winfield Custom Shop announced on Instagram that Gene had an unspecified form of Cancer. The post writes,
Most of us know Gene is not doing well & firstly we ask that everyone please pray for him as he now battles cancer.
Winfields custon shop
Moreover, Gene Winfield was continuously receiving treatment for a long time. After his 91st birthday, he broke his hip while attending a car show in Finland.
After a successful GoFundMe campaign that raised $98,000, he was facilitated with medical transport back to the United States.
Additionally, his elderly age and lack of caretaking facilities had been concerns to many, which is also considered another reason for Gene Winfield’s health deterioration.
Additional Information
- It is reported that Gene Winfield was the victim of elderly abuse by his caretaker, facing physical and economic abuse.
- Gene Winfield’s father, Frank, was a butcher who later built a hamburger Wagon named “Frank’s Nickle Lunch.”
- Winfield’s mother, Virginia, took over the wagon after his parents’ divorce and renamed it, Modesto Nickel Lunch.
