American Automotive Customizer and Fabricator, Robert Eugene “Gene” Winfield passed away March 4, 2025, following a battle with cancer. Winfield affected car culture for more than 70 years and is known for his fade paint job as well as many notable custom creations dating back to 1959.
In The Beginning…
Winfield started his career when he built his first roadster while still in high school, in Modesto, California during World War II. He opened Windys Custom Shop in 1946. Not just a customizer, he would race his cars on the streets, the dry lake beds, and the early dragstrips. After a stint in the Army in the early fifties, he returned to Modesto and opened Winfield’s Custom Shop. Winfield…..