"Harley Earl Couldn't Draw" Clip from Interview with Bill Mitchell, 1984

Bill Mitchell grew up in Greenville, Pennsylvania, the son of a Buick dealer. He began his career at the Baron Collier Advertising Agency in New York doing illustration and layout. He received formal training at the Carnegie Institute of Technology and the Art Students League in New York.

Bill Mitchell joined the Art and Colour Section at General Motors in 1935 under the legendary Harley Earl. Earl put Mitchell in charge of the Cadillac Studio, where his design became the basis for the landmark 1938 Cadillac Sixty Special. After serving in the Navy during World War II, he became chief designer of the Harley Earl Corporation where he designed a variety of household products.

In 1953 he returned to General Motors. He succeeded Harley Earl upon his retirement in 1958 and remained at General Motors as Vice President of Design until his retirement in 1977. The Buick Riviera and the Corvette are among Mitchell's most iconic car designs.