s ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 3 - 7 4 ▁energy ▁crisis , ▁which ▁brought ▁on ▁a ▁greater ▁demand ▁for ▁smaller ▁cars ▁in ▁place ▁of ▁the ▁larger ▁cars ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁G M ' s ▁bread ▁and ▁but ter ▁profit ▁machine ▁for ▁dec ades , ▁Mitchell ▁o vers aw ▁the ▁sty ling ▁and ▁design ▁efforts ▁of ▁G M ' s ▁down s ized ▁full - s ized ▁and ▁intermediate - s ized ▁cars ▁which ▁were ▁introduced ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁last ▁designs ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁lead — and ▁all ▁largely ▁based ▁on ▁them es ▁first ▁developed ▁in ▁his ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁Cad illa c ▁Se ville . ▁However , ▁when ▁it ▁came ▁to ▁compact ▁and ▁sub comp act ▁cars , ▁Mitchell , ▁who ▁often ▁strugg led ▁with ▁alco hol ism , ▁reflected ▁that ▁" Sm all ▁cars ▁are ▁like ▁v od ka . ▁Sure ▁people ▁will ▁try ▁them ▁out ▁but ▁they ▁won ' t ▁stay ▁with ▁them ." ▁ ▁Mitchell ▁stepped ▁down ▁as ▁chief ▁sty list ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 7 7 ▁following ▁his ▁ 6 5 th ▁birth day . ▁The ▁last ▁car ▁he ▁designed ▁at ▁G M ▁was ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 7 ▁Pont iac ▁Ph antom ▁concept , ▁which ▁now ▁res ides ▁at ▁the ▁Slo an ▁Museum . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁also ▁instrument al ▁in ▁the ▁design ▁of ▁what ▁would ▁become ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 - 8 5 ▁Cad illa c ▁Se ville