This is the hand-built 1965 Winfield Reactor, an extreme-looking, yet very much functional automobile that not only looks out-of-this-world, but also has been highlighted in a number of iconic films and television shows as well. The Reactor is a futuristicly-styled automobile that was built in the mid 60’s by American car customizer, fabricator Robert Eugene ‘Gene’ Winfield. After developing an early interest in car customization and racing during the 1950’s, Winfield would later go on to open up his innovative custom paint and design shop know as ‘Winfield’s Custom Shop’. Winfield’s work would go on to be noticed by some of the most prominent people in the film industry, and later, would have his creations featured in multiple popular films. As for this project shown here, the aluminum-bodied Reactor was designed by Ben Delphia of The Art Center College of Design for a East Coast show promoter, Joe Kizis, who commissioned the car to be built for his custom car Autorama in Hartford, Connecticut. The car was completed in 1965 with a green and gold Metalflake paint job, and originally was to be named the ‘Autorama Special’. Eventually know as the ‘Reactor’, the vehicle was primarily a show car, however, it also served as a fully-functional automobile that featured a four wheel fully independent self-leveling suspension from a 1956 Citroën DS, a flat-six Corvair engine, and even offered doors, a hood and a roof system that all operated electronically. Winfield’s first film offer came in 1967 from the American fantasy sitcom television series, Bewitched, where the car was portrayed as the Reactor Mach II during an episode called ‘The Super Car’. From there, the Reactor’s career fully took off, landing an appearance in an episode of the famously known Star Trek series as the ‘Jupiter 8’. In 1968, the Reactor made an appearance in ‘Mission: Impossible’ as ‘The Freeze’, and even the iconic ‘Batman’ as the ‘Catmobile’.
How many made? 1 of 1
Engine: Corvair Corsa air-cooled 180 hp (130 kW) turbocharged flat-six
Debut: 1966 National Roadster Show in Oakland, California
Top Speed: N/A
0-60: N/A
Photo Credit: @dmz73
Research: @rarecarsonly