Jason Castriota
Encyclopedia
Jason Castriota is an Italian American
automobile designer born in White Plains, New York
and raised in Greenwich, Connecticut
. He graduated from Emerson College
in Boston
and attended but dropped out of the Art Center College of Design
in Pasadena
. After his internship at the Pininfarina
design studio, he decided to stay in Turin
rather than return to the US to complete his studies. As a designer he took part in the design of production cars such as the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano
and Maserati GranTurismo
, concept cars like the Maserati Birdcage 75th
and the Rolls Royce Hyperion, and, as Head Designer for Special Projects, one-off exclusive cars for particular customers, such as the "Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina
", a restyled Enzo Ferrari
for American car collector James Glickenhaus
, and the Ferrari 612 Kappa, a restyling of the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti
for car collector Peter Kalikow.
Castriota left his position at Pininfarina on the eve of the Paris Motor Show in September 2008, and was set to become Design Director at Stile Bertone. He started his new position on December 1, 2008.
He took up the position of Director of Design at Stile Bertone in 2008 and then opened a design consultancy with offices in New York and Turin.
In June 2010, Saab Automobile
announced the appointment of Jason Castriota as its new Design Director, reporting directly to Saab Automobile CEO Jan Åke Jonsson. He and his design company will be responsible for exterior and interior design and will lead the design activities at Saab as the brand renews and broadens its product range. “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.”
Italian American
An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
automobile designer born in White Plains, New York
White Plains, New York
White Plains is a city and the county seat of Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located in south-central Westchester, about east of the Hudson River and northwest of Long Island Sound...
and raised in Greenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 61,171. It is home to many hedge funds and other financial service companies. Greenwich is the southernmost and westernmost municipality in Connecticut and is 38+ minutes ...
. He graduated from Emerson College
Emerson College
Emerson College is a private coeducational university located in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as a "school of oratory," Emerson is "the only comprehensive college or university in America dedicated exclusively to communication and the arts in a liberal arts...
in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and attended but dropped out of the Art Center College of Design
Art Center College of Design
Art Center College of Design is a private college located in Pasadena, California, and was cited by BusinessWeek as one of the 60 best design schools in the world. The college’s industrial design program is consistently ranked number one by both DesignIntelligence and U.S...
in Pasadena
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
. After his internship at the Pininfarina
Pininfarina
Pininfarina S.p.A. is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder in Cambiano, Italy.Founded as Società anonima Carrozzeria Pinin Farina in 1930 by automobile designer and builder Battista "Pinin" Farina, Pininfarina has been employed by a wide variety of high-end automobile manufacturers,...
design studio, he decided to stay in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
rather than return to the US to complete his studies. As a designer he took part in the design of production cars such as the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano
Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano
The 599 GTB Fiorano is an Italian gran turismo produced by Ferrari. It is the brand's two-seat flagship, replacing the 575 M Maranello in 2006 as a 2007 model....
and Maserati GranTurismo
Maserati GranTurismo
The Maserati GranTurismo is a two-door 2+2 coupé produced by Maserati, it shares the platform of the Maserati Quattroporte V.-GranTurismo :...
, concept cars like the Maserati Birdcage 75th
Maserati Birdcage 75th
The Maserati Birdcage 75th was a concept car created by automobile manufacturer Maserati and designed by Pininfarina and the design team, including Jason Castriota under the guidance of Ken Okuyama at Pininfarina. It was first introduced at the 2005 Geneva Auto Show. It was named to honor the...
and the Rolls Royce Hyperion, and, as Head Designer for Special Projects, one-off exclusive cars for particular customers, such as the "Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina
Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina
The Ferrari P4/5 is a one-off sports car made by Italian sports car manufacturer Ferrari but redesigned by Pininfarina for film director and stock exchange magnate James Glickenhaus. The car was an Enzo Ferrari but the owner James Glickenhaus preferred the styling of Ferrari's 1960s race cars, the...
", a restyled Enzo Ferrari
Enzo Ferrari (car)
The Enzo Ferrari is a 12 cylinder mid-engine berlinetta named after the company's founder, Enzo Ferrari. It was built in 2002 using Formula One technology, such as a carbon-fibre body, F1-style electrohydraulic shift transmission, and Carbon fibre-reinforced Silicon Carbide ceramic composite...
for American car collector James Glickenhaus
James Glickenhaus
James Glickenhaus is an American investment professional at Glickenhaus & Co., the finance firm started by his father, Seth Glickenhaus. He was formerly a movie director before entering the finance world....
, and the Ferrari 612 Kappa, a restyling of the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti
Ferrari 612 Scaglietti
The Ferrari 612 Scaglietti is a grand tourer produced by Ferrari between 2004 and 2010. It is a large two door fastback coupé. The 612 Scaglietti was designed to replace the smaller 456 M; its larger size makes it a true 4 seater with adequate space in the rear seats for adults.The design,...
for car collector Peter Kalikow.
Castriota left his position at Pininfarina on the eve of the Paris Motor Show in September 2008, and was set to become Design Director at Stile Bertone. He started his new position on December 1, 2008.
He took up the position of Director of Design at Stile Bertone in 2008 and then opened a design consultancy with offices in New York and Turin.
In June 2010, Saab Automobile
Saab Automobile
Saab Automobile AB, better known as Saab , is a Swedish car manufacturer owned by Dutch automobile manufacturer Swedish Automobile NV, formerly Spyker Cars NV. It is the exclusive automobile Royal Warrant holder as appointed by the King of Sweden...
announced the appointment of Jason Castriota as its new Design Director, reporting directly to Saab Automobile CEO Jan Åke Jonsson. He and his design company will be responsible for exterior and interior design and will lead the design activities at Saab as the brand renews and broadens its product range. “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.”
Designs
- Ferrari P4/5 by PininfarinaFerrari P4/5 by PininfarinaThe Ferrari P4/5 is a one-off sports car made by Italian sports car manufacturer Ferrari but redesigned by Pininfarina for film director and stock exchange magnate James Glickenhaus. The car was an Enzo Ferrari but the owner James Glickenhaus preferred the styling of Ferrari's 1960s race cars, the...
(2006) - Maserati GranTurismoMaserati GranTurismoThe Maserati GranTurismo is a two-door 2+2 coupé produced by Maserati, it shares the platform of the Maserati Quattroporte V.-GranTurismo :...
(2007) - SSC Tuatara (2010)
- Fenomenon Stratos, a modern Lancia StratosLancia StratosThe Lancia Stratos HF, widely and more simply known as Lancia Stratos, is a car made by Italian car manufacturer Lancia. The HF stands for High Fidelity...
(2010) - Bertone MantideBertone MantideThe Bertone Mantide is a design study based on the Corvette ZR1 first unveiled in 2009 over a series of YouTube videos known simply as Project M....
(2010) - Saab PhoeniXSaab PhoeniXSaab PhoeniX is a concept car by Saab unveiled at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. It was designed by Jason Castriota as one of his first creations for Saab. The design is inspired by the Saab 92001, but with design cues from nearly every Saab model made...
(2011)