Saab Forums
08-12-2010, 02:19 PM
Filed under: Saab (http://www.autoblog.com/category/saab/), Design/Style (http://www.autoblog.com/category/design-style/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/08/saabopenletters.jpg (http://www.saabsunited.com/2010/08/an-open-letter-from-jason-castriota.html)
Saabs United, the site that played such a noteworthy role in the General Motors (http://www.autoblog.com/make/gm)-Saab (http://www.autoblog.com/make/saab)-Spyker (http://www.autoblog.com/make/spyker) cage match earlier this year that Saab gave the site an award (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/06/enthusiast-blog-saabs-united-inspires-official-automaker-award/), is at it again. This time, Saabs United is voicing concern about Jason Castriota (http://www.autoblog.com/tag/JasonCastriota/), who was recently named 's Saab's design director. Castriota took the position above longtime Saab designer Simon Padian, who penned the Aero X concept (http://www.autoblog.com/2006/02/28/geneva-motor-show-saab-takes-off-with-aero-x-concept/).
Saabs United is worried that Castriota, moving between Turin and New York with his design consultancy and more known for supercars than family sedans, won't get Saab design and might not understand what the next 9-3 (http://www.autoblog.com/model/9+3) should be. And if that car isn't right, then Saab has a lot of trouble on its hands. So Saabs United wrote Castriota a letter (http://www.saabsunited.com/2010/08/an-open-letter-to-jason-castriota-saab-design-director.html) detailing its concerns. Castriota, much to his credit, answered with a 2,347-word response.
Castriota acknowledges that there is no way he can prove himself yet to Saab fans, since the first product we'll see from him is at least two years away. But after relating that his first car was a hand-me-down 900 three-door hatch, he does a good job of explaining how his supercar-designing experience isn't really any different than designing for Saab: if you want to make a worthy Ferrari (http://www.autoblog.com/make/ferrari/) or Maserati (http://www.autoblog.com/make/maserati/), you've got to understand what the brand means and how to move it forward. Only the year 2012 will reveal the truth of the statement, but for Saabphiles, it's an auspicious start.
[Source: Saabs United (http://www.saabsunited.com/2010/08/an-open-letter-from-jason-castriota.html)]New Saab Design Director greets the diehards, calls for "return to Saab's roots" (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/12/new-saab-design-director-greets-the-diehards-calls-for-return/) originally appeared on Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com) on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/).
Read (http://www.saabsunited.com/2010/08/an-open-letter-from-jason-castriota.html) | Permalink (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/12/new-saab-design-director-greets-the-diehards-calls-for-return/) | Email this (http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19588454/) | Comments (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/12/new-saab-design-director-greets-the-diehards-calls-for-return/#comments)
More... (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/12/new-saab-design-director-greets-the-diehards-calls-for-return/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/08/saabopenletters.jpg (http://www.saabsunited.com/2010/08/an-open-letter-from-jason-castriota.html)
Saabs United, the site that played such a noteworthy role in the General Motors (http://www.autoblog.com/make/gm)-Saab (http://www.autoblog.com/make/saab)-Spyker (http://www.autoblog.com/make/spyker) cage match earlier this year that Saab gave the site an award (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/06/enthusiast-blog-saabs-united-inspires-official-automaker-award/), is at it again. This time, Saabs United is voicing concern about Jason Castriota (http://www.autoblog.com/tag/JasonCastriota/), who was recently named 's Saab's design director. Castriota took the position above longtime Saab designer Simon Padian, who penned the Aero X concept (http://www.autoblog.com/2006/02/28/geneva-motor-show-saab-takes-off-with-aero-x-concept/).
Saabs United is worried that Castriota, moving between Turin and New York with his design consultancy and more known for supercars than family sedans, won't get Saab design and might not understand what the next 9-3 (http://www.autoblog.com/model/9+3) should be. And if that car isn't right, then Saab has a lot of trouble on its hands. So Saabs United wrote Castriota a letter (http://www.saabsunited.com/2010/08/an-open-letter-to-jason-castriota-saab-design-director.html) detailing its concerns. Castriota, much to his credit, answered with a 2,347-word response.
Castriota acknowledges that there is no way he can prove himself yet to Saab fans, since the first product we'll see from him is at least two years away. But after relating that his first car was a hand-me-down 900 three-door hatch, he does a good job of explaining how his supercar-designing experience isn't really any different than designing for Saab: if you want to make a worthy Ferrari (http://www.autoblog.com/make/ferrari/) or Maserati (http://www.autoblog.com/make/maserati/), you've got to understand what the brand means and how to move it forward. Only the year 2012 will reveal the truth of the statement, but for Saabphiles, it's an auspicious start.
[Source: Saabs United (http://www.saabsunited.com/2010/08/an-open-letter-from-jason-castriota.html)]New Saab Design Director greets the diehards, calls for "return to Saab's roots" (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/12/new-saab-design-director-greets-the-diehards-calls-for-return/) originally appeared on Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com) on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/).
Read (http://www.saabsunited.com/2010/08/an-open-letter-from-jason-castriota.html) | Permalink (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/12/new-saab-design-director-greets-the-diehards-calls-for-return/) | Email this (http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19588454/) | Comments (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/12/new-saab-design-director-greets-the-diehards-calls-for-return/#comments)
More... (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/12/new-saab-design-director-greets-the-diehards-calls-for-return/)