About Michael Santoro

Michael Santoro is an award winning American automotive, transportation and product designer. He spent 6 years as an exterior designer for Chrysler where he created the the 1995 Car of the Year, Chrysler Cirrus and it's sibling, the Dodge Stratus. Before leaving Chrysler, Mr. Santoro penned the exterior for the 1996 Jeep Wrangler returning the iconic vehicle to it's roots. As part of his Jeep design, he created the first automotive "Easter Egg". A practice now widely used throughout the industry to connect with owners and brand enthusiasts. Mr. Santoro was the consulting designer for Vector Aeromotive where he helped to bring the M12 super car to production. His work extends beyond automotive design having worked on the Gulfstream G5 and Boeing 777 interior designs and heavy equipment for Samsung. In 1998 he created the Apple-specific case market with the launch of MacCase, a company he still runs today. Recently, he created the livery designs for a pair of Audi TCR RS3 race cars which went on to win the National Championship. Mr. Santoro has taught transportation design at Pratt Institute and guest lectured at College for Creative Studies (CCS) and Art Center College of Design.

Guide to Automotive Design Schools

Updated- June, 2026 Automotive design schools are a specialized type of college or university in the same way automotive design is a specialized area within industrial design. It's focused on the development of motor vehicles, particularly cars, motorcycles, and other transport systems. Aspiring automotive designers are not just artists; they must know how to [...]

Guide to Automotive Design Schools2026-07-06T23:11:57+00:00

How to Support Your Child’s Car Design Journey

Updated, June 2026 When a child shows a deep interest in drawing cars, it often begins as a hobby, sketching supercars in the margins of notebooks, watching design videos online, filling pages with side profiles and dramatic concepts. For some students, however, that interest becomes something more serious. They don’t just want to know [...]

How to Support Your Child’s Car Design Journey2026-08-19T00:10:51+00:00

What Education is Needed for Automobile Designers?

Updated- June, 2026 If you're dreaming of a career in car design, you may find yourself wondering, what education is needed for automobile designers? Becoming an automobile designer is a journey that requires a blend of creativity, technical skills, and a formal automotive design education. While there are several educational paths that aspiring car [...]

What Education is Needed for Automobile Designers?2026-08-18T23:56:13+00:00

What is the Best Major for Automotive Design?

Updated- June, 2026 Choosing the best major for automotive design is a critical decision for students aspiring to enter this competitive and dynamic field. Automotive design is a multidisciplinary domain that blends creativity, technical expertise, and industry knowledge. Depending on your interests and career goals, there are several majors that can lead to a [...]

What is the Best Major for Automotive Design?2026-07-03T04:42:09+00:00

Which Course is Best for Automotive Design?

Updated- June, 2026 Automotive design is a challenging and competitive field that requires a combination of creativity, some technical knowledge, and a deep understanding of design principles. For high school students aspiring to become car designers, it’s crucial to start building your automotive design education and the required skills early on. Be sure to [...]

Which Course is Best for Automotive Design?2026-08-18T23:57:44+00:00

What Degree is Best for Car Design?

Updated- June, 2026 Car design is a multidisciplinary field that requires a blend of creativity, technical skill, and industry knowledge. Aspiring automotive designers can pursue various auto design degree programs within their automotive design education, each with its own focus and approach. Given this, some may ask, "What degree is best for car design?" [...]

What Degree is Best for Car Design?2026-07-01T19:07:34+00:00

How Do I Become a Car Designer?

Updated- June, 2026 It's one of the single most difficult, creative jobs to obtain. In the United States, you have a better chance of becoming a professional football player than you do becoming a professional car designer. Ask yourself, how many professional football players do you personally know. The next question you may ask [...]

How Do I Become a Car Designer?2026-07-01T19:08:02+00:00

Automotive Design Course – Meet Our Tailored Course Program

Updated- June, 2026 For many aspiring car designers and their parents, finding an automotive design course outside the normal college or university structure can be quite difficult. The same can be true for anyone looking to change careers or just explore if they have what it takes to become a professional car designer. With [...]

Automotive Design Course – Meet Our Tailored Course Program2026-07-01T19:08:16+00:00

Becoming an Car Designer: Frequently Asked Questions in 2026

My child loves drawing cars. Does that automatically mean they should study car design? Not necessarily. Loving to draw cars is a great start but studying car design professionally requires much more than copying existing designs. It requires imagination, discipline, problem-solving, and the ability to generate original ideas consistently. A student who is serious [...]

Becoming an Car Designer: Frequently Asked Questions in 20262026-08-18T23:55:33+00:00

Automotive Designer or Mechanical Engineer? Find Out Here!

Updated- June, 2026 This blog post was generated by a question submitted by Dhanraj. He is an aspiring automotive designer looking for guidance in automotive design education and how that relates to studying mechanical engineering. As we corresponded I realized that the information being shared is universal and may be beneficial to others looking [...]

Automotive Designer or Mechanical Engineer? Find Out Here!2026-08-18T23:58:10+00:00
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