'The Bill Mitchell era'

May 20, 2024 2:25 PM

Bill Mitchell was "responsible for creating or influencing the design of over 72.5 million automobiles produced by GM, Mitchell spent the entirety of his 42-year career in automobile design at General Motors". Bill Mitchell’s Silver Arrow I. In 1957, coming back from the Turin Auto Show Mitchell faced "Automobile Manufacturers Association (AMA) had forbidden American automakers from participating in any performance or motorsports activities—which included the building, selling, or advertising of performance-oriented products." Studio X: The Story of Bill Mitchell's Secret Styling Studio at General Motors.
posted by clavdivs (7 comments total)

I'm not much of a car buff but was amazed to see the recounted stats of the era - where a house cost about 3 years gross salary. Please delete if this is too much of a derail.
posted by brachiopod at 3:04 PM on May 20 [3 favorites]

That Pontiac Phantom is sleek as hell. I've been writing about growing up in cars in SoCal, and how they were so much more than modes of transport; they signified everything about taste, status, desire, and they represented freedom in so many ways. I sold my soul to have a decently working car so I could escape my abusive family forever. The world definitely needed to wake up around, oh, 1977, and get away from car centric living, but car design is a fascinating amalgamation of art, architecture, and mechanics. Except for some famous clunkers, but that's another article; I imagine nobody hid those designs away and instead they were probably made by spinning a wheel or consulting everybody who hated cars.
posted by winesong at 6:19 PM on May 20 [5 favorites]

I wish that I could have a secret design studio at work!
posted by Harald74 at 6:19 AM on May 21 [1 favorite]

That Silver Arrow I is gorgeous!
posted by wenestvedt at 8:52 AM on May 21 [1 favorite]

I love that Silver Arrow - and it's interesting to consider the parallels with Skunk Works and what might have been. Awesome post.
posted by somebodystrousers at 9:09 AM on May 21 [2 favorites]

I wish that I could have a secret design studio at work!

(20 years later, after Harald74's retirement party)
"So, any idea why Harald never used his secret design studio even once?"
"Did... did we forget to tell him about it?"
posted by notoriety public at 5:14 PM on May 21 [4 favorites]

I do work in a field with some degree of secrecy. I might have to ask my boss what's up.

However I have been assigned a student working here over the summer, they are working a bit "off the books", so it might be possible to start constructing my studio. If there's not already one here.
posted by Harald74 at 3:40 AM on May 24 [1 favorite]