Saab Appoints Jason Castriota as Design Director

The reborn Saab has made another step in its efforts to offer attractive vehicles and enter the success zone, as the carmaker has appointed the former Bertone and Pinifarina designer Jason Castriota as its new Design Director.

Castriota, 36, and his company will create a new visual direction for future Saab vehicles, in terms of both interior and exterior design. The executive is filling in his new position immediately. In his new role, Castriota will report directly to Saab Automobile CEO Jan Ake Jonsson.

"We're delighted to welcome Jason to our leadership team. He has an outstanding track record in automotive design and will help us take the brand forward. He will play a key role in expressing all that's best in the innovative tradition of Saab design as we carry our brand's roots into the future," said Jan Ake Jonsson.

"I'm greatly looking forward to joining such an iconic brand," said Castriota. "Saab has a very strong and distinctive heritage which gives it great potential to develop. This is an exciting opportunity for me to help shape its future products."

Born in New York, the designer graduated from Emerson College in Boston before attending the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. In 2001, he joined Pininfarina’s design studio in Turin, Italy. He became Director of Design at Stille Bertone in 2008 and subsequently opened a design consultancy with offices in New York and Turin.

One of the top vehicles in Castriota’s portfolio are the Ferrari P4/5, Maserati Birdcage 75th, Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, Maserati GranTurismo and the Rolls-Royce Hyperion, as well as the Bertone ZR1 Mantide.