Sketch by the late Sir Alec Issigonis, of the original Morris Minor, circa 1946. It had one option an AM radio, hung below the dash. Plenty of space and comfort in the back, as I recall, but my fathers Rover P6 was much more stylish. Issigonis worked as a draughtsman and design engineer, and also in a sales and project engineer role, succeeding in securing Rover as a customer use the freewheel device on the new for 1933 Rover Ten (P1 series, above). He also worked with Alvis Cars, one of the more obscure carmakers. Roger, are you saying that Graham Day ended the consultancy and goodwill payments because he was offended by Issigoniss letter? Issigonis also insisted that no less than 80% of the cars volume be dedicated to passengers and luggage. It was still in production when BMW, led by Bernd Pischetsreider, bought Rover in 1994. My appreciation of Issigonis designs really came when Auntie Merle traded her Austin A30 (horrible car) for a Morris 1100. Thanks for a wonderfully researched article! But at the age of 50, he began designing one of the most iconic vehicles ever produced: the classic Mini. Issigonis officially retired from the motor industry in 1971, although he continued working until shortly before his death in 1988 at his house in Edgbaston, Birmingham. Maybe it takes that sort of single-mindedness, bordering on obsession, to create something different, get it into production in spite of obstacles and naysayers, and make it a success. He inherited his great interest in technology and machines from his father who, shortly after the turn . That Alvis is one of those missed opportunities that ultimately doomed the company. He was involved in engine design as well, requesting unsuccessfully that BL build 4 and 6 cylinder engines for Mini variants. Learn more. Biography: Sir ALEC issigonis - The designer of Britain's favourite cars, Britain's favourite car designer . I dont have any great memories of the Mini to share, though you saw them everywhere. He also had plans for a flat four cylinder engine, and at frequentlychallenged convention and Morris Motors conservatism. Alec Issigonis nasceu na Turquia Filho de um grego naturalizado britnico casado com uma turca. Issigonis actually sketched the Minis original design with a pencil on a tablecloth. Im sure this was never part of Issigoniss plan, as he was anti-style, but only the 1100 benefited from external help. A British citizen born in Turkey in 1906, Issigonis did not see an automobile until he was 12 years old. During 1956 Issigonis concentrated on the larger two cars, producing several prototypes for testing. The Crossword Solver found 30 answers to "an alec issigonis family car launched in 1969 (6,4)", 10 letters crossword clue. A reliable car with excellent steering and cornering qualities, it was the first all-British car to pass the one million mark in sales; surviving models are still cherished by owners and collectors. The original plan called for a large family car by 1960, to be followed by a smaller car and then a city car. Issigonis' creation was remarkable, but it really only became a Mini when he got a little help from his friend, motorsport pioneer John Cooper. He was knighted in 1969 and was honored by the city of Oxford with a street named after him, Alec Issigonis Way. More importantly, the end of the agreement also marked the end of goodwill payments from the Company that covered his nursing care, and he was forced to move from his home to a smaller flat. Sixty years ago today . The all-new Mini will be revealed today, on what would have been Mini creator Sir Alec Issigonis's 107th birthday. An image from the 1964 Racing Car Show in the aftermath of the Mini's first Monte Carlo Rally win. The first front wheel drive car from BL after Issigoniss retirement was the Austin Allegro, still with the gearbox in the sump and without the obvious hatchback. This is the main reason Lord re-hired Issigonis. But back in the day, young UK petrolheads had the time of our lives with Minis, modified in countless ways, rocketing around on twisty English roads, and in weekend motorsports. Day terminated the consultancy agreement, without any more consultation. There was no radio fitted as he thought it would distract the driver. To clarify, the Renault 4, 5 (first generation, Le Car), 6 and 16 all had longitudinally mounted engines. Its practicality and affordability made it immediately popular; by the time of Issigonis death more than five million had been sold. The image his cars achieved for BMC was arguably a factor in the survival of the company in the market place, and BMC used his personality extensively in advertising whichyou can imagine Issigonis publicly hating but privately loving. A series engine, with gearbox beneath and side mounted radiator. The AROnline development story tells the tale of how this small car changed the way we looked at economy cars almost overnight. During 1967, Sir Alec Issigonis approached his BMH* superiors, asking to be temporarily relieved of day to day duties so that he could devote himself to a new vehicle project, one intended to directly replace the Mini. The big steering wheels angle was a bit bus-like though. In conjunction with Issigonis work, Lord contracted Pininfarina to lead the styling of BMCs new cars, starting with the conventionally engineered Austin A40 Farina in 1958. This strong streak of fierce independence and lack of compromise hid his lateral approach to the design and engineering of cars. And a rally demon was born. Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis was born in Smyrna, on November 18, 1906 and he is the man who designed one of the most beloved cars in the world, the legendary Mini Cooper! Alec Issigonis was born in Smyrna (now Izmir) in Turkey on 18 November 1906 to a British-naturalized father of Greek origin and a Bavarian-born mother. Great write about a very clever guy, but he was wrong an uncomfortable driver is an irritable driver who fatigues rather more quickly, The Landcrab while being comfortable to ride in as a passenger is not so nice to drive nor are the smaller cars from BMC, there are many surviving ADO16s here and NZ is still the Morris Minor capital of the world they will never become rare here and for that matter neither will real Minis but 1800s and Maxis are quite thin on the ground already yet were popular new they werent very durable though, and the last Princess Ive seen is a rusty example outside the British car museum at Te Awanga, Personally having driven all his ideas the Morris Minor was his best one that saw production, I got my first car licence in a Morry Thou. His mother was from Bavaria. Friendly was ideal for owner-buyers, a large part of the British car buying public, but never appealed to thrusting young execs and salesmen, which is why BLMC was so desperate for the Marina to crack the fleet market. Oxford Office. From then onwards, any car in the small or medium market without a transverse engine was considered unusual, and conservative. Sir Alec Issigonis was one of the automotive industrys great independent thinkers. View gallery - 6 images. I got to drive his Red mini when I went for fish and chips on a Friday. All Rights Reserved. View 6 Images. His father died in 1922, at which point he and his mother moved to the U.K.. MINI, official partner of Team GB and ParalympicsGB, has unveiled its new London 2012 special, Keith Adams Well, Christmas and Boxing Day are out of the way and the, The replacement for the Austin-Healey 3000 never took off, thanks in part to a poor, British Motor Holdings the joining of BMC and Jaguar, The cars : Mini (ADO15) development story Part One, Concepts and prototypes : BMC 9X (1968-87), Blog : Why the Italians beat us to a supermini by a decade, History : The Road to Perdition Part One, Interview : Alec Issigonis on the BMC 1100, Archive : Mini Shortlisted For Car Of The Century, Archive : Mini still sold at a loss. Prior to his death, Alec and his mother travelled overland to London. Born in Smyrna, Ottoman Empire (now zmir, Turkey) on November 18, 1906, Issigonis immigrated to England with his family in 1922 and later studied engineering at . Unless it was at some very small, unique company; something like TVR comes to mind. This car basically took the Mini concept and enlarged it by 20%, adding some experience, and ambition, at the same time. At the peak if his career he was by far the most well-known personality in the British motor industry, one of the most well-known names in the European motor industry, and was the first and perhaps the only car British designer who could claim celebrity status. In November 1971, Issigonis officially retired from BLMC, with a major ceremony at Longbridge, for which BL marshalled an example of every car for which he had led the design, of which only the Minor was no longer in production. Issigonis customer in this case was Maurice Wilks, later the man behind the Land Rover. Young Alec grew up in a very affluent environment, with influences from Germany and Greece (he grew up speaking German and Greek), rather than Turkey and Britain. On the right is Alec Issigonis and standing next to him is John Cooper. It was 1961 when the humble little people-mover fell into the hands of British racing legend John Cooper. Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. ALEC ISSIGONIS Automotive Designer (1906-1988) One of the most original car designers of the modern era, ALEC ISSIGONIS (1906-1988) is best known as the creator of the Mini, but also designed two more of the five best-selling cars in British motoring history - the Morris Minor and the Austin 1100. . Sir Alec Issigonis celebrates one of the many milestones of the Mini dynasty. Alexandros Arnold Constantine Issigonis, more commonly known as Alec Issigionis, was born in Smyrna, Asia Minor, on November 18, 1906. A deeply flawed genius at best. Arguably, Issigonis and BL were in danger of being left behind. Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis was born in the Turkish town of Smyrna, today's Izmir, as the son of a Briton of Greek origin and a mother from Bavaria, on 18 November 1906. The Mini caused a sensation with its design and rather small size in the late 1950s thanks to its inventor, the Englishman Alec Issigonis. [10], There is a road named "Alec Issigonis Way" in the Oxford Business Park on the former site of the Morris Motors factory in Cowley, Oxfordshire. . On the surface it didnt appear very desirable to Me, or to prospective new-car buyers. By the mid 1950s, as Europe got back on its feet after the war, there had been many attempts to define the modern car, but none was proving to be dominantly successful. XC/9001 became ADO17 and was launched, also with the Hydrolastic suspension system, as the Austin 1800 in October 1964.The same principle was carried over for his next production car the Austin Maxi, However, by then he had become more aware of the cost considerations of vehicle manufacture and in service warranty costs which were crippling BMC. Harris Mann, having a clean sheet, not giving the Allegro or Princess a hatch in the mid 70s is another matter. [3] His paternal grandfather, Demosthenis, had migrated to Smyrna from the Greek island of Paros in the 1830s and Constantine was a successful and wealthy shipbuilding engineer. I had a book about Issigonis, but its lost. Issigonis (standing) with the special at Shelsey Walsh hillclimb. At this time, he was working for Maurice Olley. Issigonis and Dowson then travelled into Austria to the mountain climb competition at the then new Grossglockner Hochalpen Pass. On his side, Issigonis built a large model railway in the double garage that ran out through the walls and around the garden. Excellent article. I saw one, in 79 or 80, sold here as the MG Sports Sedan. He was also referred to as the Greek God, perhaps more openly. BMCs Great Leap Forward was a bold move, unfortunately marred by the inability to check Issigonis tendencies that often put the buyer last instead of first. Issigonis had no input to the Marina (other than it using substantial elements from the Morris Minor of course) or the Allegro, as BMC had passed a thin very development programme to Leyland in 1968, largely due to financial pressures. I love the comment made by Red Foreman on That 70s Show when asked about the Toyota Corolla he had recently purchased due to the gas crisis: Bob: Red, a Toyota? To achieve this feat, Issigonis utilized a front wheel drive layout with a transverse-mounted engine, the first modern application of this concept. Noch ein Mini! You serve us all wonderfully. Issigonis showed little interest in things mechanical until he was well into his teens, not riding in a car until he was 14 years old, and was seemingly more interested in art, under the strong influence of his mother. George Harriman, Leonard Lord and Alec Issogonis. John Daly, Your email address will not be published. Issigonis who designed the Mini auto Crossword Clue The Crossword Solver found 30 answers to "Issigonis who designed the Mini auto", 4 letters crossword clue. Even as Britain entered the 1960s, product planning remained something of an alien concept to its native carmakers, the majority of whom viewed such matters as being the sort of recondite nonsense invented in the United States, and best left there. Issigonis spent his early years as an engineer with Morris Motors working on steering and suspension. Kereta rekaannya, BMC Mini dilancarkan dalam tahun 1959. By 1939, Issigonis had replaced his modified Austin Seven with a more radical car of his own design, constructed of plywood laminated in aluminium sheeting, in what we would now call a composite construction. John Sheppard spent 20 years working with [], Richard Aucock 40 years ago this month, Sir Alec Issigonis, creator of Britains best-selling motoring icons, retired The creator of the original Mini, the Morris Minor, the Austin Maxi and [], Motor magazine, August 1962 WHY IS THE ADO16? Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis, CBE, FRS terkenal kerana menjadi pencipta kereta Mini yang menjadi ikon tahun 1960-an. The lower picture is is an early (1958) Issigonis drawing of his vision for the Mini. The Crossword Solver finds answers to classic crosswords and cryptic crossword puzzles. The initials "G.I." To get to this point wasnt easy. The end of the agreement came in 1986, when Issigonis wrote directly to Graham Day, BLs then new Chairman. Issigoniss first project was to design an independent suspension for Rootes highest volume car, the Hillman Minx. The task: a car with lots of space inside with minimum dimensions outside, seats for four passengers, impeccable driving characteristics, superior fuel economy, and a very affordable price. Oak placed another engineer, Jack Daniels, alongside him to keep his feet on the ground. By 1969 Fiat had also followed with the 128, and by 1974 Peugeot, VW and Renault had transverse engine hatchbacks as well. It certainly appeared by the Maxi development era that Issigonis wanted to "do his own thing" as cost cutting and development costs spiraled. Starting around 1930, he raced a supercharged "Ulster" Austin Seven, later fitting it with a front axle of his own design, leading to employment at Austin. Issigonis's mother, Hulda Prokopp, was descended from a Bavarian brewing family who had settled in Smyrna, and established a brewery. 104 Alec Issigonis Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Images Images Creative Editorial Video Creative Editorial FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO 104 Alec Issigonis Premium High Res Photos Browse 104 alec issigonis stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. He lived with his mother to whom he was devoted, until her death in 1972, latterly in Edgbaston in Birmingham, in a large bungalow, divided into two wings. British car designer best remembered for his work on the development of the iconic Mini. His grandfather Demosthenis Issigonis . Issigonis was knighted in 1968, 1955 Morris Minor: Britains Favorite Car Bar None, And Rightly So, Austin Seven (Mini): The Future Started Here. There is a truck factory in the city of Izmir, on the western Mediterranean coast of Turkey, builtby the British Motor Corporation (BMC) in 1967, and which still builds vehiclesunder the BMC brand. [8], With the creation of British Leyland in 1969, new chairman Lord Stokes quickly sidelined Issigonis and made him into what was termed "Special Developments Director", replacing him with Harry Webster as the new Technical Director (Small/Medium cars). [3] His paternal grandfather, Demosthenis, had migrated to Smyrna from the Greek island of Paros in the 1830s and Constantine was a successful and wealthy shipbuilding engineer. And the result was the creation of more than just an economical car. Copyright 2023. The inability of these cars to withstand business case scrutiny crucial in the companys decline, and others must also stand up for that -Issigonis didnt claim to be a product planner in the sense Ford would recognise but saw all his cars as separate entities. Who are the richest people in the world? Alec Issigonis Net Worth 2023, Age, Height, Relationships, Married, Dating, Family, Wiki Biography . In 1922 the family left Turkey for England, as all British people were banished from the country. The Boudjah - Smyrna born Alec Issigonis was an engineering genius and even after his death there is a fan base for his cars. Alec Issigonis (Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis) was born in Smyrna in the Ottoman Empire (now Izmir, Turkey). The Morris Minor was an immediate success, selling over 11 million units, and was the first characterization of Issigoniss philosophy of maximizing interior space while shrinking all other components. In 1936, he moved to Morris Motors Limited at Cowley working on an independent front suspension system for the Morris 10. When I was in grade school in the mid-70s, the next door neighbor of my best friend had 6 Minis. At some point in the mid-60s they ran an After the New Wears Off feature by an MG 1100 owner in Los Angeles. BMC . This post and its visuals and videos explains this pivotal vector of the international industry with such clarity and depth. Vic Oak and Reginald Hanks, Morriss Managing Director did though, arranging a 50% salary increase for Issigonis in April 1948, to 1500 per year. You could, however, discern Issigoniss influence on some of BMCs light commercials, especially the underfloor engined JU and walk through EA vans of the late 1960s. Issigonis 'response was dry and forceful:'I'm an engineer. 41 Copy quote. In October, 1957, just eight months after first putting pen to paper, the first prototypes were on the road. Issigonis (just in view at the far right) was not involved in the engineering of this car, but was able to start a long term friendship with Battista and Sergio Pininfarina,seenstanding next the car with Leonard Lord and George Harriman. Alec Issigonis, or more formally Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis CBE FRS RDI* (1906 1988), is best known as the creator of the Mini, but he also designed two other cars that have featured on CC and that are amongst the best-selling cars in British motoring history the Morris Minor and the Austin-Morris 1100 (ADO16). 8050 Alec Issigonis Way, Oxford Business Park North, Oxford, United Kingdom, OX4 2HW. Getting a guy like Issigonis to design a V8 saloon and just chucking it in the bin. Despite its stated mission being to provide basic transport, this level of driving enjoyment, and capability, was like a non stop Christmas present. Towards the end of WW2, he began work on the Mosquito project, which ended up being launched in 1948 as the Morris Minor. In 1969, in recognition of his engineering genius, Queen Elizabeth granted him Knighthood. The 1100 benefited from someone elses external design. [9] He was cremated at the Lodge Hill Cemetery in nearby Selly Oak. Alec Issigonis is part of G.I. Been a fan of Alec Issigonis since I was 8 years old. He [], DAILY EXPRESS By David Benson Harry Webster is a quiet, unassuming, generous man of 54. Issigonis would work on the 9X programme, which included a replacement Mini and a new and innovative gearless transmission system. It was designed to follow on from the Mini and 1100 as the next generation . Sir Alec Issigonis. The concept of the transverse engine and gearbox combined with FWD, which had previously been used only with two-cylinder two-stroke engines by DKW (since the 1920s), Lloyd and Saab, was adapted by Issigonis for the four cylinder A-block engine for the Mini. Lord (later Lord Lambury, above) had big ambitions for BMC and initially tasked Issigonis with developing the basis for a range of modern family cars to replace the existing collection of BMC products. Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis CBE FRS RDI (18 November 1906 - 2 October 1988) was a Greek automotive designer. [citation needed] Issigonis often commented to friends and colleagues that the Austin 1800 (ADO17) was the design he was most proud of, even though it never was as commercially successful as his three preceding designs. His inability to accept guidance (stubbornness may be a better term) also led to some misjudged products the Maxi comes to mind but perhaps the purity of hispredominantly engineering solution with poor execution in the areas Issigonis didnt or wouldnt appreciate (looks, practicality, ergonomics, product revisions, marketing) was also overlooked by too many within BMC. Great article there should be a movie about Issigonis! But there were other 20th century cataclysms that he lived and worked through as a designer - including the Suez crisis of 1956. Alec Issigonis. It was as modern and progressive in 1948 as the ADO16 Morris 1100 was in 1962, and let down only by the relatively weak and old side valve engine. 1925 . Alec Issigonis was born on the 18th of November, 1906. Austin 1800 (ADO18 Landcrab): Best In Class Or Just Plain Ugly? Generation. Issigonis was excused service in the armed forces and remained at Cowley working on military vehicles of various types, including a very basic compact load carrier often described as a motorised wheelbarrow intended for use in jungle conditions together with an amphibious version designed for use by the Royal Navy. Issigonis had some success at club racing level and in 1935 travelled with his lifelong friend George Dowson to the German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring. In the face of all this mayhem, Mrs. Issigonis decided to migrate with Alex to Britain, a land neither knew. Issigonis returned to BMC to design a range of family vehicles. Meanwhile, back at the office, Issigonis had devised an independent coil spring system for the first unitary construction Morris, the 1938 Ten, but which did not go into production as Morris, conservative as ever, chose a more conventional and cheaper beam axle solution. What a great. Humber were more interested in the sales engineer than his product, and Issigonis moved to Humber in 1933. Fascinating lost papers from the man who created the Mini and the. Copyright 2011 - 2023 Curbside Classics. Contents Early life and education Career Legacy Honours Some of his cars [11], Issigonis was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1964 Birthday Honours. An advanced 4-speed fully automatic transmission was offered in these that lived in the sump and shared the engine oil, just like the manual gearbox. The 1100 and later 1300 outsold the Mini by a considerable margin and remained Britains best-selling car right through the 1960s. British car designer best remembered for his work on the development of the iconic Mini. I have labelled it the Most Significant Car of the 1940s; it is probably the most recognised British car, apart from the Mini, and the most fondly remembered car by many British families and motorists. https://www.mini.com/ Issigonis was a good packaging designer. Therefore, when Alec's father, Constantine Issigonis, was born in Smyrna in 1872, he was also a British national. Alec Issigoniss birth sign is Scorpio and he had a ruling planet of Pluto. If so, that would seem vindictive on Days part. Demosthenis acquired British nationality through the work he did for the British-built Smyrna-Aydin Railway. Issigonis also devised a compact suspension system made of rubber cones instead of springs to keep the wheel wells from intruding into the passenger compartment. A colleague of his had a VW Polo then and kept shaking his head: Well, yes, if there were no other compact cars in the world , Mr. Roger Carr, Thank you. His name? He did not want more conventional answers, without at least exploring some technical advances. Humber was the upscale brand of the Rootes Group, but also the name of the main car building company in the Group. Demosthenis's son (Alec's father) Constantine Issigonis (Greek: ), was born, with British nationality, in Smyrna in 1872. The Mini went on to become the best selling British car in history with a production run of 5.3million cars. By the mid 1970s, Issigonis was beginning suffer from Menieres disease, and the consequent loss of full control of his balance let him to retreat from prominence. He and Frank Stephenson are both famous car designers. American Brands: AMC, Jeep and All Others, Tractors, Lawn Mowers, Off-Road Equipment, Biography: Sir Alec Issigonis The Designer of Britains Favourite Cars, Britains Favourite Car Designer, I have labelled it the Most Significant Car of the 1940s, Vintage R&T Technical Analysis: AMCs New Pacer As Short As A Pinto; As Wide As A Chevelle, Vintage Car Life Comparison: 1961 VW Bus, Corvair Greenbrier, and Ford Econoline Wherein A 40 HP VW Bus Ties An 80 HP Greenbrier In The 1/4 Mile, Cohort Pic(k) of the Day: NSU Ro80 Just Your Typical Bay Area Car Show, The CC Graveyard: Part Three An Exotic Foreigner Hiding In The Bushes, Wordless Outtake: Ford, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Peugeot, Renault, MAN The Subcontractors Sixsome, BOAL: 1982 Honda GL500 Silverwing Chapter 5, The Baby Wing. A truly great man and an honour for me. In August 1959 the car was launched as the Morris Mini Minor and the Austin Seven, which soon became known as the Austin Mini. BMC had internally identified the need to move on from the concepts behind the Minor and A30, leaving behind the classic front engine, semi-elliptic spring concept but there was little clarity on which direction was perceived to be the way to go. Alec Issigonis (Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis) was born in Smyrna in the Ottoman Empire (now Izmir, Turkey). This undated sketch by Issigonis shows some of this. They represent many years of design study in attempts to produce the best value for money in the field of small car design. ), British automobile designer who created the best-selling, economical Mini and the perennially popular Morris Minor. He was a race car driver during the 30s and 40s. Click the answer to find similar crossword clues . Alec is also well known as, British car designer best remembered for his work on the development of the iconic Mini. Durante o curso ele foi reprovado trs vezes em matemtica. Thanks for the great article. This was partly because of the cost but also because in 1953 Ford bought Briggs UK operations and 1954 BMC bought Fisher & Ludlow. The XC (experimental car) code names assigned for the new cars were XC/9001 - for a large comfortable car, XC/9002 - for a medium-sized family car, and XC/9003 . In 1961, he became Technical and oversaw the launch of the 1100, 1800 and Maxi all hugely advanced machines, with front-wheel drive, in-sump gearboxes, and interconnected suspension. Enter the length or pattern for better results. The Mini, and the other Issigonis BMC front wheel drive cars, benefited from Issigonis continuing collaboration with Alex Moulton and his suspension system developments. But beneath this surface, he was a sensitive and more vulnerable person, and was almost certainly (and inexcusably) the subject of some intolerance and prejudice from the UK born staff. After returning to England in 1922, he enrolled in engineering school, failing mathematics at every turn. It was, though, used on the postwar MG Y Type saloons.

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