The Reactor: The Car That Bewitched Starfleet and Gotham City

Discover the extraordinary story of The Reactor, a groundbreaking 1960s custom car created by legendary builder Gene Winfield. This futuristic masterpiece, built on a modified Citroen DS chassis and powered by a turbocharged Corvair engine, captivated audiences at car shows and on popular TV series like Star Trek and Batman. Learn about its innovative design, unique features, and the impact it had on automotive culture. Join us as we explore the history, restoration, and enduring legacy of this iconic custom car that continues to inspire enthusiasts today.
00:00 - Intro Retro Car
00:06 - 1965 The Reactor History
03:08 - Outro Retro Car
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#retrocar #TheReactor #CustomCar #1960s #CarDesign #GeneWinfield #AutomotiveHistory #HollywoodCars #CarEnthusiasts #ClassicCars #CarCulture #HotRod

[@jeffwier696]

The paint on this is gorgeous! She's a real beauty! The wrap-around rear end is funky. Kinda makes her look like a three-wheeler. Great to hear that she's still doing shows! I hope to see her!

[@lib556]

Finally, after being teased in the thumbnails for your Star Trek and Bewitched videos, we're actually learning about this car.

[@bcsadman]

Custom show cars are what dreams are made of…

[@Foersom_]

It is based on a legendary Citroën DS, wauw! He should have named it Rëactor. ;-)

[@modelermark172]

If there ever was a custom car that set the zeitgeist of the golden age of Car Culture, this was it! Interestingly, despite the Reactor's well-known popularity, there was never a 1/25th scale model kit produced of the Reactor, (though I was able to find a 1/43rd scale diecast online.) Back in the day, Monogram kitted Darryl Starbird's "Predicta" and "Futurista," and both AMT and MPC covered similar cars like Bill Cushenbery's "Silhouette," the Dodge Deora designed and built by Mike and Larry Alexander, and Harry Bentley Bradley, and the Tiger Shark designed and built by the staff at Car Craft. Revell, of course, had the wild creations of Ed "Big Daddy" Roth. But somehow, gene Winfield's iconic Reactor seemed to have fallen through the cracks. Given the popularity of the Reactor, there has to be a story behind that . . . . Thanks for posting this! 24th Like.

[@retrocarchannel]

Thanks for the great comment and helpful information.

[@1337fraggzb00N]

Damn, that's a nice car!

[@jourwalis-8875]

I have never heard of that Citroen had a "3-speed automatic gearbox" in those days....

[@franciscoassisgiocondo5932]

What a car ! What a dream ! What a dammit life ! I want this marvelous toy in my garage 😂! I wanna die... Rock and roll/ girls/movies/ what else ?! This is it, a big hug from BRAZIL ( SOUTH AMERICA) Bye.

[@jourwalis-8875]

"Citroen DS"! Before I heard this, I thought it looked a bit like a DS!

[@scannon3213]

Still pretty cool 😎

[@Goodkiwibloke]

Cool looking car

[@jaylittleton1]

Gene Winfield. IYKYK.

[@mercoid]

Ahhhh! I see that you wisely chose the AI voice labeled “Douchebag Chinese Based Voice”! EXCELLENT choice my good man. Excellent!! 👍

[@earllsimmins9373]

Electrify it and put it in production

[@johnnyfreedom3437]

If a cool-looking car like that could have legally been put on the road, I never would have let it rust away in the garage somewhere! Think of all the girls you pick up at 18yrs old in a car like that!

[@daviddaigle2419]

That's really bewitching,😉

[@adriangillock700]

Love the cool car i want to see a model of that car

[@Name-ps9fx]

I don't remember this car in any episode of Star Trek...could someone remind me before I lose my mind? Edit: Wiki says it was the "Jupiter 8" car from the episode "Bread and Circuses"!

[@princecharon]

Which Star Trek episode or episodes was this car in?

[@Donleecartoons]

"Bread and Circuses," set on a planet I which Ancient Rome had late-20th-century levels of technology (including a gladiator combat reality TV show) and the Reactor appeared in a quick Roman TV news clip and in a magazine ad as the "Jupiter 8."

[@rrad8106]

@@Donleecartoons Was wondering the same! Thanks for pointing it out; I will look closer the next time i watch that episode!

[@geneard639]

I am pretty sure I had the Hot Wheels car based on that. Even had the same color.

[@jasonfrodoman1316]

I always thought Andora design that car.

[@feralcatbrothers]

Hey model car makers...hint, hint. By the way: what is the music at the very start of this video? It's as cool as the car.

[@jourwalis-8875]

Was it also front wheel drive with inboard front disc brakes?

[@Iowa599]

It looked like a trike in the thumbnail. looked better with one less wheel.

[@jourwalis-8875]

Well, it was not much of an american car, if it was based on the revolutionary and superior Citroen DS!

[@badbusdriver7160]

Mad looking thing, but I cant help thinking high speed stability might be an issue🤔

[@Thinginator]

The Citroen DS was front wheel drive, and the narrower track width in the rear actually made it more stable.

[@badbusdriver7160]

@@Thinginator I was thinking more about the upward slope of the bodywork from the front wheels to the front of the car, the exposed front wheels and the fact that the rest of the lower bodywork looks more like a boat than a car (rather than the wider front track).

[@wonyankeesays5661]

YTer FUSION KID had a episode about cars on star trek,,this one was not even mentioned

[@TheSockMonkeyGuy]

I've watched all the Star Trek TOS episodes many times and I don't remember ever seeing this car. There was obviously some connection, given the photo with William Shatner in this video at 2:00. I'd love to know the story.

[@wonyankeesays5661]

@@TheSockMonkeyGuy it was an episode where the enterprise went to a Roman era type planet,,and the car was in an ad

[@wonyankeesays5661]

@@TheSockMonkeyGuy original series

[@exastrisscientia8656]

The "Jupiter 8". A magazine ad of 20th century Rome.

[@wonyankeesays5661]

@@exastrisscientia8656 been awhile,,I had forgotten,thanks

[@joemedley195]

What episode of Star Trek was it in?

[@terrybeavan4264]

Bread and Circuses, feeling the need to watch it now!

[@exastrisscientia8656]

The "Jupiter 8". Kirk saw it in a 20th century Roman magazine.

[@larryaldrich4351]

This is what a 21st century car is supposed to look like. Not an ugly SUV that resembles a stormtrooper's space helmet.

[@stejer211]

Not everything was great about the sixties...

[@russbetts1467]

Dear Retro Car. Will you Please stop ruining your videos by sticking additional episodes on the screen whilst the video is running. It's a distraction and means we miss important parts of the video. Put the alternatives at the end of the video, as other posters do. Thank you. Russ. UK.

[@TheCrazyMoparDude68]

There wasn’t any additional episodes while the video was running, at least not when it was talking about the car. There were two episodes advertised at the very end when the video was over. If that is distracting you, you need to get help.

[@jerrys9226]

@@TheCrazyMoparDude68There were no distractions.

[@retrocarchannel]

I didn't glue or turn anything on, I don't know what it's about. I only used pictures of the car for the video clip, nothing else. I don't understand.

[@Skaramine]

It's KZbin that places video links in the final seconds of the video. How about leave KZbin and never gripe again?

[@bigl6322]

It’s annoying to be sure, and it’s KZbin … Whattya gonna do??

[@othoapproto9603]

these were only 3d doodles and POS builds

[@creamwobbly]

The side and front ¾ view made it look to me like a trike. I've been poisoned by too many oval blobs and impractical square trucks. We need more cars like this and less Crybabytruck

[@jeremyashford2145]

I was thinking this looked like it came a decade too late and was already comparing it to a D Citroen when you said as much. It is a really stupid looking car though.

[@Dakota0425]

This car was never in Star Trek.

[@terrybeavan4264]

From my searching it was in Bread and Circuses, referred to as the Jupiter 8, but it's been a LONG time since I've seen the episode.

[@blandrooker6541]

In the episode "Bread And Circuses", as the crew are investigating the planet from orbit, Uhura intercepts some tv commercials broadcast from the planet, and in those commercials shown on the bridge viewscreen, there it is. It's one of those "blink and you'll miss it" moments.

[@Donleecartoons]

​@@blandrooker6541It also appears in a magazine ad Kirk picks up and reads.

[@terrybeavan4264]

@@blandrooker6541 It got a whole lot more air time in the Bewitched episode, being the whole subject of the episode! Though it's been a long time since I've seen it I believe Darrin even drove it, but for sure he sits in it, starts it up and the suspension raises the car up. I'm fuzzy on the MIssion: Impossible episode and if it's the one I'm thinking of it was just used as a prop in a parking lot.