railway car brands are famous the world over . citizenry everywhere can identify an Aston Martin or a Lamborghini . Most people even have an idea what notorious cars such as the Lada and Peugeot look like . But did you ever block up to think about who designs the cars we all sleep with and love ? Unlike way designer who relish fame and fortune , most machine designers labor in obscurity , compile a decent but unspectacular payroll check from the automaker where they are merely an employee . Yet some car designers have developed a sterling repute within the industry and among automotive aficionados for creating several of the best be intimate vehicle of all meter . Here ’s a list of 10 of the all - time great elevator car designers .
10. Bill Mitchell
He ’s never been the subject of a movie , and there are no school named after him , but Bill Mitchell has a special space in the sum of citizenry who bed American muscle cars . A lifelong employee at General Motors in Detroit , Bill Mitchell designed several iconic car during the 1960s and 1970s , notably the Cadillac Coupe DeVille , Corvette Sting Ray and Chevrolet Camaro . passably damn impressive . set forth at General Motors in 1935 , Bill Mitchell literally influenced the automotive industry for more than 40 years , until his retreat in 1977 . He died in 1988 , but exit a lasting bequest on the car mankind . His design of the 1963 Corvette Sting Ray Coupe is considered to be his masterpiece .
9. Paul Bracq
Paul Bracq is a Gallic motorcar fashion designer who spent his career exercise at some of the top car maker in Europe — including Citroen , Peugeot , BMW and Mercedes - Benz . He begin his career in the 1950s , but it was in his situation as Design Director at BMW in the 1970s that Paul Bracq had his biggest influence , notably with the blueprint of the BMW 7 serial publication and sport railcar such as the BMW 1600Ti . Paul Bracq also developed many safety gadget feature article for cars , such as crumple zones and rollover protection . Oh , and he also designed limo for the President of France and transferral vehicle for the Pope . Not a bad legacy , indeed .
8. J. Mays
put up in rural Oklahoma and raise around his family ’s machine parts store , the former Chief Creative Officer at the Ford Motor Company derive from lowly beginning . After studying commercial-grade art , J. Mays got his start in Germany , notably cultivate at Volkswagen , where he headed the redesign and relaunch of the Volkswagen Beetle . In 1997 he was snatched up by Ford and lead off using his plan insightfulness to evolve retro car designs for the 21st century . These include designing fresh versions of the Ford Fairlane , Shelby GR-1 and Jaguar F - Type . He also function on several version of the Ford Mustang . In 2002 , J. Mays have the Harvard Design School annual Excellence in Design Award .
7. Jason Castriota
A native New Yorker , Jason Castriota has pass most of his career plan gorgeous cars for companies such as Ferrari and Maserati . Armed with a sheepskin from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena , California , Jason Castriota be active quickly from an internship at Pininfarina to Ferrari , where he design the Ferrari 599 , as well as the Maserati GranTurismo and the Maserati Birdcage . With a reputation for designing super hot car , Jason Castriota is also credited with ameliorate the aeromechanics of the cars he design and adding racing flair to all of his vehicles . He has also designed specialty car for private car collectors around the reality .
6. Harley J. Earl
To say that Harley J. Earl was a pioneer of the self-propelled industry is an understatement . He was the first drumhead of Design at General Motors and not only design car , but developed the purpose techniques that are still used throughout the industry today — including freeform sketching and hand - sculpted Lucius DuBignon Clay model of vehicle . He is also credit with coming up with the idea for the “ construct car , ” both as a tool for the pattern appendage and as a merchandising tactic . His first design was for the 1927 Cadillac LaSalle , and one of his last designs was for the 1953 Chevrolet Corvette . In between , Harley J. Earl also aid to design famous auto parts such as the “ Tailfin , ” which was first infix in 1948 , and the role of camo on U.S. Army vehicle during World War II , which General Motors design and construct . Harley J. Earl die in 1969 from a throw .
5. Malcolm Sayer
Who does n’t love the flavour of a Jaguar ? They are some of the most beautiful car in the world . And we have interior designer Malcom Sayer to give thanks for developing many of the best looking Jaguars ever create . Working at Jaguar Cars for more than 20 years , Malcolm Sayer is responsible for for some of the most iconic expect Jaguar cars ever . auto such as the E - Type Jaguar ( a 1960s icon ) and Jaguar XJS . He also designed the Jaguar XJ13 racing prototype and went on to create the C - Type Jaguars that make headway the subspecies at Le Mans . An airplane designer during the Second World War , Malcolm Sayer applied many principles of aircraft figure to the cars he created for Jaguar . He died in 1970 from a heart approach at the age of 54 .
4. Walter de Silva
Walter de Silva is presently the Head of Volkswagen Group Design , but his fiefdom includes luxury and sport brand such as Bentley , Lamborghini and Bugatti . He has also sour as headland of design for Alfa Romeo . And , in a career that began in 1972 , Walter de Silva has designed iconic cars such as the Alfa Romeo 156 , Audi A6 , Audi R8 and Lamborghini Egoista , to name only a few . Walter de Silva has also made it his mission to carry on germinate the Volkswagen brand of cars — providing affordable models such as the Volkswagen Golf , Jetta and Passat . A true renaissance mankind , Walter de Silva has alternated during his career between luxury car brands and more pedestrian commuter fomite .
3. Henrik Fisker
We have Henrik Fisker to thank for cars such as the BMW Z8 and Aston Martin DB9 . The Danish architect has make some of the advanced masterpiece in the automobile manufacture and his career is not yet over . presently the head of his own company , HF Design , Henrik Fisker recently announced architectural plan to get another self-propelled company ( he antecedently co - founded the Fisker Automotive company ) . In addition to motorcar , Henrik Fisker has also designed several influential motorcycle , notably the Viking Motorcycle . praise for innovative designs that are both beautiful and muscular , Henrik Fisker is a innovative master whose designing conception have prove very influential in the self-propelled world .
2. Frank Stephenson
Another New master is railway car interior decorator Frank Stephenson , who is most well - known for designing the current Clarence Shepard Day Jr. variant of the Mini , which has proven to be extremely pop . However , the Mini is just the bakshis of the iceberg for house decorator Frank Stephenson . During his career , he has also project the BMW X5 , Maserati MC12 and Ferrari F430 . He is presently Design Director at McLaren Automotive , where he created the clean MP4 - 12C. These are all gorgeous cars noted for their exceptional style and luxury . Frank Stephenson is now reportedly working on contrive wash cars for McLaren and his designs are hotly anticipated .
1. Giorgetto Giugiaro
The Alfa Romeo 2600 , the Aston Martin DB4 , the BMW M1 , the Maserati Ghibli , the Lamborghini Calà , the Bugatti EB218 . These are the railroad car of designer Giorgetto Giugiaro . And they are the reason he was appoint Car Designer of the Century by the Global Automotive Elections Foundation in 1999 and induct into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 2002 . Known as Italy ’s first off automotive house decorator , Giorgetto Giugiaro has also worked on many cars for company such as Fiat , Ford and Hyundai . But it is his workplace in the sportswoman and luxury car mart where his figure have determine influence and eclat . And , in addition to cars , Giorgetto Giugiaro has designed camera bodies for Nikon , computer epitome for Apple , and even his own unique pasta condition called “ Marille . ” This is a man who has done it all in the humans of design .
