Gene Winfield is well recognized as an iconic American automotive customizer. Mr. Winfield grew up in Modesto, California and was early on exposed to auto body shops and motorsports, including driving 135-mph in "The Thing" Model T at Bonneville in 1951. He later began operating Winfield's Custom Shop in Modesto. An early innovation that gained Winfield attention was his technique of blended custom paint. In the mid-1960s, his designs caught the attention of the right players in the film community. This resulted in a large body of his work being seen on screen, including in the iconic 1982 film Blade Runner.

Building on his experience, in 1962, Winfield joined Aluminum Model Toys (AMT) as a consultant for their model kits. AMT hired him in 1966 to manage the new Phoenix, Arizona-based Speed and Custom Division, building full-scale cars as promotional vehicles. After AMT closed this division in 1971, Winfield has continued work in the custom field in Southern California.

The exciting truck that is being offered is a 1935 Ford Truck that was owned and restyled by Gene Winfield of Winfield's Custom Shop. This is reported to be Gene's second shop truck. When he first obtained it, some of the customizing had already been completed. The rear fenders were from a 1939 Chevrolet, the grille was made of 1/4-inch chrome plated rods. The striking Winfield truck was entered at the third annual Renegades Rod & Custom Motorama in 1960. The event program has a photo of the custom with “steelies” fit with a bullet in center, but without the custom made hubcaps. This version was painted in a copper-bronze color. According to the program, the car was chopped 3.5-inches, and powered by a chromed Mercury 296-cid, 170-hp flathead V-8 with Offenhauser heads. The truck was often driven to the shows where Gene Winfield displayed it. It was also seen in numerous rod and custom magazines of the day, including the November 1963 Hot Rod magazine and the October 1961 issue of Custom Rodder.

Before the 1963 custom show season, Winfield again painted the truck. This interpretation utilized a reported 40 coats of candy blue lacquer over a pearl base. The second take for the truck was named "TwiceNice". After showing the second version of the truck, Gene advertised it for sale in Hot Rod Magazine November, 1963 in the classifieds section. The asking price was $1,875 and according to the ad it then featured Chrysler Wires and a Corvette engine. The truck was eventually sold to a gentleman named Buddy from Oregon in 1965. After Buddy bought it, he is said to have showed it a few times, and later changed the appearance by having it painted with flames and pinstriping.

After that, the truck seems to have disappeared from the public eye. For many years the Winfield shop truck is reported to have been stored away in a barn. In 2006 the truck was pulled out of the barn and parked outside. After spending the next two years in the elements it was spotted in Bend, Oregon. It was sold in 2008 to an interested party that owns a restoration shop who decided on executing a complete, detailed, historic restoration back to Gene Winfield's first version of the truck.

The restoration saw the truck being completely torn down, blasted and repaired. Very little rust was discovered. The Winfield pickup was displayed at various rod and custom related shows during this process, such is its popularity. The finished professional restoration is a work to behold. On January 29, 2010 the newly restored shop truck made its debut at the 61st Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, California.

Among the features that Gene Winfield first put on the truck, and are now seen again, are the famous one-off hubcaps, custom grille, custom headlights, distinctive custom side pipe exhaust, plus custom bumpers at the front and rear of the vehicle. The gold metallic finish is complemented by its gold and white interior and truck bed detailing. The undercarriage of the Winfield shop truck is as stunning as the balance of the vehicle.

The Winfield custom continues to be a subject of great interest and admiration. It has been featured on the cover of the July 2010 issue of Rod & Custom Magazine, the cover and feature for Street Rodder magazine in July 2010 also, and it was on the cover and the featured for Hot Rod and Restoration Business magazine. A build book record of the complete restoration accompanies the truck, as do photos of Mr. Winfield with his creation.

This vehicle has been well-rewarded since its latest rise to prominence. Among the coveted awards it has received are First Place at the 2010 Grand National Roadster Show; Outstanding Truck at the Ft. Worth Autorama; First Place Radical Custom Truck at the 2010 Houston Autorama; Outstanding Paint at the 2010 Houston Autorama; Exhibitors Choice/Jury’s Choice with the Swedish Street Rod Association Choice Bilsport Performance Show in 2011; Builders Showcase Street Rod Nationals in 2011 at Louisville, Kentucky; People’s Choice Truck/First in Class/Judge’s Choice East Texas Auto Show in 2013; Best in Class/Outstanding Custom Rod/Outstanding Paint at the 2013 Abilene World of Wheels and Outstanding Radical Custom Rod at Autorama Extreme at Detroit.