Gene Winfield Robert Eugene " Gene " Winfield was an automotive customizer , builder of " s " , and automobile designer of note , who has also lent his talents to motion picture industry productions , one of which having been . While heading the Speed and Custom Division Shop , a subsidiary of model kit company Aluminum Metal Toys ( AMT ) , he and his company were tasked in 1966 with the construction of the full scale exterior as well as the full scale interior mock - up of the Class F shuttlecraft , what was to become the " Galileo " 7 , complemented by an accompanying scaled filming model , all of them slated for use in the first season episode , . The assignment resulted from a deal that was brokered by Stephen Edward Poe between Gene Roddenberry and AMT . The agreement entailed that AMT were given the exclusive rights to manufacture model kits based on the new " Star Trek " television series in return for helping out Desilu Studios with the construction of set pieces when the need arose , and this was the first time the proviso was invoked upon . The second instance occurred over one year later , when the company was tasked to build the D7 - class model , at first at the behest of AMT itself , that wanted to do a follow - up of their highly successful model kit . Nevertheless , one of their two master tooling models was appropriated by the studio , acting upon the proviso , to serve as a filming model for the series ' third season . In both instances , Gene Winfield served as lead builder and supervisor . Between the two commissions , one of Winfield ' s earlier automobile creations , done for another television show , made a cameo appearance as the Jupiter 8 in the " Original Series " second season episode . At that time the car received a fair amount of media attention in automobile circles , resulting in a number of publicity shots to which William Shatner lent his cooperation by posing with and in the car in the guise of Captain James T . Kirk . While his creations became signature features of the franchise , as subcontractors , neither Winfield nor his company have ever received official credit for their contributions . In 2012 , Gene Winfield became reacquainted with his full - scale Galileo mock - up ( having previously attended " LagrangeCon ' 91 " in November 1991 near Cleveland , Ohio , where the mock - up was displayed during an earlier restoration attempt ) , when he was contacted by Alec Peters , one of the initiators of the " The Galileo Restoration " foundation , established for the restoration of the mock - up , when it was acquired in an auction of 28 June 2012 . Excited that his creation was still in existence , he committed himself to do anything he could to help , which included making available the molds for the seats he still owned as well as other parts the foundation needed in order to refurbish her . He furthermore attended as guest speaker the " Las Vegas Star Trek Convention " on 10 August , as part of the foundation ' s " The Galileo Panel " , in order to raise awareness of , and funding for the project , signing pictures and photos . An interview was made with Winfield by Adam Schneider , the actual auction winner of the mock - up , in which Winfield discusses in length his creation . Career outside " Star Trek " . Growing up in Modesto , California , Gene Winfield developed a keen interest in auto body shops and racing , soon leading to him going into business for himself by opening his own company in Modesto , " Winfield ’ s Custom Shop " , after his tenure in the US Army , he left in late 1951 , having operated , perhaps not surprisingly , an army automobile body shop in post - war occupied Tokyo . Aside from operating his company , Winfield simultaneously found employment at AMT in 1962 , as a consultant style designer for their model kits . Outside his duties for AMT during those years , Winfield managed to make a connection with Hollywood by designing automobiles for several television productions . He designed and built the " Piranha Car " for " The Man from U . N . C . L . E . " ( 1964 ) , the " Sunbeam Tiger " for " Get Smart " ( 1965 ) , and Catwoman ' s " Reactor " for " Batman " ( completed in 1965 but first used in 1967 ) . The latter especially brought him renown , and it was this car that later made the cameo appearance in " Bread and Circuses " . In 1966 , Gene Winfield was requested by AMT to establish the Phoenix , Arizona based , Speed and Custom Division Shop . Incorporated as a subsidiary , AMT needed the company to build both full - scale and scaled automobile mock - ups ( typically out of wood at the time ) to promotional ends , as well as to manufacture the templates or masters in order to construct the molds from which the parts for their model kits were extracted or cast . Winfield headed the subsidiary company as production manager . In 1970 Gene Winfield left AMT ( who closed down the Speed and Custom Shop one year later ) to open his own shop , " Winfield ' s Special Projects " in North Hollywood , to be close to the movie industry . He closed down his business in 1974 , to work for Traditional Coach Works in Chatsworth , Los Angeles , only to start a new business for himself again in 1977 , which he still operates . During these years his creations have found their way into more than 20 Hollywood films , including " Bladerunner " ( 1982 , for which he built 25 vehicles , co - designed with Syd Mead ) , " The Last Starfighter " ( 1984 ) , and " Robocop " ( 1987 ) He also created the flying version of the by Andrew Probert designed Delorean time traveler for " Back to the Future " ( 1985 ) . Aside from his movie projects , Gene Winfield has continued throughout his career to design and build customized automobiles , continuing to do so to this day while operating his company , currently located in Mojave , California . Highly esteemed by his peers in the industry , Gene Winfield has been inducted into " Darryl Starbird ' s Custom Car and Hot Rod Hall of Fame " , and was honored as " Builder of the Year " at the 2008 Detroit Autorama .