Thursday, July 12, 2007

The designer and builder of the Blade Runner vehicles, Gene Winfield

Above via http://greyhandgang.com


Winfield was approached by director Ridley Scott to build the futuristic vehicles needed for his science fiction movie "Blade Runner."

The job required construction of 25 various vehicles ranging from flying police cars (called "Spinners"), to taxi cabs, buses, and everday transportation vehicles.

Winfield built all 25 units, but two were destroyed in a shop fire.

The "Spinner" was a marvel of technology, including forward-opening doors and wheels the folded-up into the body during the flight mode. Most of these vehicles were destroyed by the studio upon completion of filming.

However, one "Spinner" and one black & white police "sedan" were put on display outside at Disney/MGM Studios in Florida. Recently, after years of deterioration from the weather, they were moved and said to have been destroyed. Another "Spinner" has been restored and now resides in Japan. A red police "sedan" is currently on display in Miami, Florida at the police museum.

Sidenote, Sam Foose did some work on these too, how about that?

http://www.c-we.com/piranha/page9.htm

For an interview with Gene: http://media.bladezone.com/contents/film/interviews/gene-winfield/