By Robert Tate, Award-Winning Automotive Historian and Researcher
Images Courtesy of General Motors Media Archives/Bill Porter Personal Portfolio
Published 5.7.2025
Bill Porter standing next to a 1970s GTO model (GM Archives)
The automotive world lost a talented designer the other day named Bill Porter (May 6, 1931 - April 25, 2025). He was a great friend of mine for many years. I met him during the early 1970s, when I was a design student at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit and he was an Automotive Design History instructor.
Porter graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Louisville and later would attend Pratt Institute. In 1957, he started out as an intern for the General Motors design staff and then was hired full-time by GM in 1958. Porter was a great and talented automotive designer with GM for many years.
Pontiac Bonneville rear design sketch, 1963 (Bill Porter)
From 1960 to 1961, Porter was assigned to the Pontiac studio under the direction of Jack Humbert. From 1962 to 1967, he became a part of the preliminary design studio and the advanced design studio team as well. Porter designed and illustrated many great-looking Pontiac and Buick models for decades, building a very impressive automotive design portfolio. Most importantly, he was just a great guy and would always take the time to talk to you about the importance of preserving automotive history.
A colorful front end design by Bill Porter (GM Archives)
Porter was responsible for designing many exciting Pontiac models that the public thoroughly enjoyed, like the popular GTO and the exciting early Firebird models. He was also involved in early 1960s and 1970s Bonneville and Grand Prix designs as well.
Bill Porter standing with 1970s Firebird models
Porter had a 39-year career at the GM Design Center. He was also a great architectural historian and collector. Automotive historians for many years have said that Porter was given credit for the popular design of the second generation of the Pontiac Firebird models in the 1970s.
Bill Porter standing next to Buick Riviera
The 1960s introduced the popular muscle car era, which the Pontiac GTO and Firebird models were a key part of and many young people admired. The 1971 Firebird models were great-looking designs. In fact, I would have to say that the 1971 Pontiac Firebird models are on my list of the best designed automobiles of the 1970s. The top-of-the-line Pontiac Trans Am was also an exceptional design, and Porter was very involved with the styling process.
Bill Porter showing design proposals
In 1979, he was appointed to Chief Designer of the Buick 1 studio and would remain there until his retirement in 1996. For many years, some automotive historians have said that Porter had directed the evolution of Buick’s visual design identity that culminated in in the rounded forms of the Park Avenue and Riviera model, which became a brand signature that extended into the next decade.
Bill Porter with another of his designs (Porter Archives)
Porter also made many contributions to the education community, passing on his philosophy of art and design to future generations. From 1963 to 1979, he developed a Product Design Studio course at Wayne State University in their Industrial Design Department. For many years, students have benefitted from this program.
Bill Porter in 2015 standing next to his design art (Louisville Business First)
In conclusion, William Lee Porter left the automotive design world a wonderful legacy that will be remembered by generations to come. He was a great person, who I will miss. Porter was one of the automotive historians I could speak to about my MotorCities stories and check them for accuracy. Borrowing from Dion’s song “Abraham, Martin and John,” “Anyone here seen my old friend Bill Porter, you know I just looked around and he’s gone.”
Bibliography
Pontiac Preservation Association. “Bill Porter Biography.” 2019.
Rotella, Rocky. “Pontiac Firebird History - Designing A Legend.“ Pontiac Designer Bill Porter’s influence on the development of the second-Gen Firebird. Hot Rod Magazine.
Gunnell, John. “75 Years of Pontiac Oakland.” Crestline Publishing, 1982.
Boyce, Terry V. “William Porter Moving the Mainstream (Part 1).“ Collectible Automobile, August 2017, Vol. 34 #2 page 72-81.