The Saab 9000 & The Italian Embassy – Washington, D.C.

Posted on 25. Mar, 2007 by Ryan in 1990-1999, 2000-2009, 9000, Italy, Saab Sightings, Washington, D.C.

Today was a truly magnificent day in terms of the weather here in Washington, D.C. so I took a walk up Massachusetts Avenue, which is also known as Embassy Row. There are a number of Embassies on this avenue including the new Italian Embassy where I spotted a beautiful Imola Red 9000 Aero parked in front.

I find this “Saab Sighting” quite appropriate given that the Saab 9000 was originally designed by an Italian, Giorgetto Giugiaro.

Giorgetto Giugiaro, born on August 7th, 1938 was born in Garessio, province of Cuneo, Italy. Giugiaro began working with Saab-Scania on the Saab 9000 body design in 1978. The conceptual designs that Guigiaro designed, continued until 1981. The Saab 9000 finally shown to the public in may of 1984, however the engine for the 9000 was shown a year earlier in Geneva in March of 1983.

Today, Giugaro works as a product designer and here is a quote from the former Saab 9000 designer himself:

“Right from the moment I started my career as a car designer, I was convinced that an enormous opportunity would have slipped away had I not transferred, within the sphere of product design, the complex, albeit effective, automotive design methodology to other mass production sectors.”

- Giorgetto Giugiaro

Source: http://www.giugiarodesign.it

For more information on the Saab 9000, I have provided two extremely informative resources on the Saab 9000 which can be found here on this site:

The first resource is the Saab 9000 video that was made in 1984 that can be watched in its entirety. Please click on this image below to watch the film.

The second resource is the book on the Saab 9000, published by Automobilia in 1986. Please click on this image below for more information.

Tags: 9-3, 9-5, Aero, Automotive Component Group, car, Designer, engine, Massachusetts, new 9-5, new saab 9-3, saab, saab 9-3, saab 9-4x, saab 9-5, saab 9-5 wagon, saab 900, saab 9000, saab 99, Saab Automobile, saab ng900