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Issigonis spent his early years as an engineer with Morris Motors working on steering and suspension. When Morris and Austin merged to form the British Motor Corporation in 1952, Issigonis decided to leave the company. People over the road from us had a Wolseley Six (top of the range Landcrab) when we were kids. Excellent article. Issigonis was an engineer, first and foremost, but I have used the terms design/designer in this piece, in the way that was contemporaneous to Issigonis and as he would have understood it, although we would now use use engineering. Alec Issigonis. Thanks for the great article. The gearbox sharing the sump oil worked ok, but the transmission absolutely pulverised the lubricating qualities out of the oil, and it really required changing every 3000 miles if you wanted the thing to last. In 1922 the family left Turkey for England, as all British people were banished from the country. 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. Alec Issigonis, technical director of the British Motor Corporation and Charles Griffin, chief engineer, answer questions from our technical editor. Alec Issigonis It is much easier to drive without having an accident. My sister had an MG 1100 which blew me away in 1970. Humber was the upscale brand of the Rootes Group, but also the name of the main car building company in the Group. [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. On the surface it didnt appear very desirable to Me, or to prospective new-car buyers. Enter a Crossword Clue Sort by Length By 1941, Issigonis had started work on an advanced post war car, then codenamed Mosquito, which became the Morris Minor. Great article there should be a movie about Issigonis! I wonder if he was to blame for the Mini never having a hatchback, or a more softly suspended version? . [4] His maternal ancestors originated in the Kingdom of Wrttemberg. In August 1959 the car was launched as the Morris Mini Minor and the Austin Seven, which soon became known as the Austin Mini. His retirement gift from the company was the largest available Meccano set, complete with a steam engine. This would have been in the early 70s when they were literally everywhere. But, as ever, events intervened in this case the Suez Crisis of 1956, complete with petrol rationing. Even more significantly, it effectively defined the configuration of the small and medium car for the next 50 years. Smrna was then the second city of the Ottoman Empire and had a local population of around one million, of which more than half were Greek. As a young man, Constantine was sent to England to study, and he later married Hulda Prokopp, the daughter of a wealthy German brewer in Smyrna. 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. The first car to repeat the concept of the Mini was the ADO16, which is often considered to be Issigoniss finest hour. Issigonis also insisted that no less than 80% of the cars volume be dedicated to passengers and luggage. The Royal Navy Marines evacuated British Subjects, including the Issigonis family, from Smyrna before Turkey attacked. Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis was born into the Greek community of Smyrnain Ottoman Turkey. In October, 1957, just eight months after first putting pen to paper, the first prototypes were on the road. In 1961, a shipload of Minis suffered mild water damage on their journey to the east coast of US. He left Morris in 1952 for Alvis just as BMC was created from Austin and Morris (as well as Riley, Wolseley and MG).. He showed that cars could be practical and pleasant to ride in and drive, and that size was not everything; he defined the template for the small petrol engined car for 50 years, maybe longer, and showed how modest cars could become wish list items, attracting customer such as Enzo Ferrari. 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. In a front-wheel-drive car, with more understeer and/or a bit more resistance at the wheel, this effect might be enhanced ? . At the end of 1955, Issigonis moved to BMC to head up the development of the corporations new family of cars. Below are all possible answers to this clue ordered by its rank. 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. 2939 Words; 12 Pages; 6 Works Cited; Essay on The Pure Voice in Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles This guilt convinces Tess that she must now travel to the D'Urbervilles' home and claim kin with them. Joseph Lowrey, MOTOR: As soon [], Mr Alec Issigoniss New B.M.C. By October 1957, Issigonis had shown Lord a working prototype and the decision had been made to manufacture the car, using the existing BMC A series engine. Sort By: Better Essays. The Crossword Solver finds answers to classic crosswords and cryptic crossword puzzles. 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. Alec Issigonis - Etsy Check out our alec issigonis selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops. The mini leaked like a sieve because of the way hed designed the sills and had to be redesigned. In August 1971, Issigonis drove the 2 millionth ADO16 off the line, as the same time as a Mini Clubman, which was the 5 millionth front wheel drive BMC car, came off the line in the next building. It didnt just raise the bar it kicked it into next week ! Issigonis was giving punters what they needed, rather than what they wanted. Sir Alec Issigonis. He was known for being a Entrepreneur. The ways in which things went sour for BMC , and for Alec himself, are all too well known: but with this little car, they surely both earned a big place in history. 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. Moulton was a scion of the family behind the Avon tyres company and a respected suspension system engineer in his own right who had worked extensively on the concept of rubber as a suspension medium, before working on the hydrolastic and later still the hydragas systems. It was one of the first days of the new school year early September and I was walking up the sidewalk and turning the corner to head for the campus. Enter the length or pattern for better results. A deeply flawed genius at best. 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? Issigonis legacy. This car was remarkably light, weighing less than 600lb. This is the main reason Lord re-hired Issigonis. ), British automobile designer who created the best-selling, economical Mini and the perennially popular Morris Minor. He designed the Mini, launched by the British Motor Corporation in 1959, and voted the second most influential car of the 20th century in 1999. During the war, Morris Motors undertook military work, notably the development of the Morris lightweight reconnaissance vehicle for the War Department. ), British automobile designer who created the best-selling, economical Mini and the perennially popular Morris Minor. In March 1957 Lord asked (more likely told, as Lord did not do asking) Issigonis to come up with something to compete with them. Issigonis planned two versions, known as the TA/350 with a 3.5 litre V8 and TA/175 with a 1750cc, V4 engine. Ultimately, Alvis had to cancel the project, after the first prototype had been built but before the company had committed to the expenditure of production tooling. This strong streak of fierce independence and lack of compromise hid his lateral approach to the design and engineering of cars. At some point in the mid-60s they ran an After the New Wears Off feature by an MG 1100 owner in Los Angeles. . Issigonis had the dream of becoming an automobile engineer at an early age. It did not have everything Issigonis wanted, as he originally planned this car to have a V4 engine rather than the BMC A series. 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. When he officially retired from BLMC in November 1971, Issigonis was retained by BLMC on an exclusive consultancy agreement, signed off by and reporting to the Chairman, Donald Stokes. Sir Alec Issigonis ( 1906-1988 ) was an exceptional car designer who is best known for his development of the Mini.He was born in Smyrna ( Izmir ) in Turkey, the son of British-Greek parents. Another Mini! Kereta ini menjadi kereta popular di Britain dan banyak negara di dunia, di samping berjaya menjuarai Rali Monte Carlo sebanyak 3 kali. The Renault 14 was transversely engined, from 1976. Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis, CBE, FRS (November 18, 1906-October 2, 1988) was a Greek-British designer of cars, now remembered chiefly for the development of the Mini, launched by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) in 1959. He designed the Mini, launched by the British Motor Corporation in 1959, and voted the second most influential car of the 20th century in 1999. Unfortunately the ADO16 did not do well in the U.S. as the Austin America, which was imported here in an attempt to eat some of VWs lunch in the late 1960s. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). No wonder Issigonis felt flattered I feel very, very proud that so many people have copied me.. 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). Plenty of space and comfort in the back, as I recall, but my fathers Rover P6 was much more stylish. Happy birthday to the Mini! 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. Just re-watched the documentary about Issigonis, which has a great deal on the lightweight special It was 1999 channel 4 a full evenings programmes devoted to the 40th anniversary of the Mini. Issigonis designed a unitary construction saloon and the V8 engine, and utilised Moultons latest interconnected rubber suspension. What a great. Alec Issigonis. Thank you very much for a wonderful biography. At the end of the Greek-Turkish war in 1922, British subjects in Smyrna were evacuated by the Royal Navy, ahead of the Turkish re-possession of the area from Greece, with manyinitially travelling to Malta. . He remained on the BL books as a consultant until 1988, shortly before his death. Oxford Office. Given his disrupted education, unusual background and the tough economic times that were the late 1920s, finding a job was not easy, but in 1928, and by now a British citizen in his own right, Issigonis took his first job in the motor industry, for Edward Gillett in London, through a networking contact he had made at Battersea. Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis, CBE, FRS (18 November 1906-2 October 1988) was a Greek-British designer of cars, now remembered chiefly for the groundbreaking and influential development of the Mini, launched by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) in 1959. Whos the richest Entrepreneur in the world. He was flattered to be copied, though. Issigonis 'response was dry and forceful:'I'm an engineer. On his side, Issigonis built a large model railway in the double garage that ran out through the walls and around the garden. 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 October 2, 1988, he passed . He title at Alvis was Engineer in charge of passenger car design. In 1952, the year BMC was formed, he moved to Alvis where he designed an advanced saloon, and experimented with interconnected independent suspension systems. 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. Getting a guy like Issigonis to design a V8 saloon and just chucking it in the bin. There was a good reason for BMC selecting him for this task, for Issigonis was born in Izmir. He was reluctant to consider features such as large boots or hatchbacks, or engine access, as important. That name was now engraved in my mind and as I got older I was drawn to LBCs (Little British Cars.) Aos 16 mudou-se para Inglaterra onde iria cursar engenharia. The Crossword Solver finds answers to classic crosswords and cryptic crossword puzzles. Contents Early life and education Career Legacy Honours Some of his cars He was knighted in 1969 and was honored by the city of Oxford with a street named after him, Alec Issigonis Way. * Commander of the British Empire (1964), Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (1967), Royal Designer for Industry (1964). But accounts do suggest it done in a pretty crass way. If only it had had more power and better gearing. At the time of his retirement, 71, hatchbacks were not the thing they were 4 years later. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. It was, though, used on the postwar MG Y Type saloons. He then moved on to Alvis, where he worked on the development of a luxury saloon, but the project had to be discontinued for cost reasons. A British citizen born in Turkey in 1906, Issigonis did not see an automobile until he was 12 years old. From 1925-1928 he studied engineering at Battersea Polytechnic in London. Comments about the bus-like steering wheel angle remind me of what I learned about that subject from my Italian cars (Fiats): the relatively horizontal wheel requires/enables the driver to push forward, rather than up, to make a turn a difference that makes better use of the arm, translating to easier and less tiring driving. He didnt say by 1974 in regard to VW and Renault. BMC . Back in 1980 a friends father of mine who was a MP sergeant owned a then new Mini Cooper 1275 cc. The MG 1100 Sport Sedan a perfect choice when a two-seater MG is too small. If so, that would seem vindictive on Days part. 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. Issigonis designed the most enduring small cars of the twentieth century, the Morris Minor (1948) and the Mini (1959) - a testament to his insistence that 'styled' cars dated quickly. . What a great, nicely balanced piece about the ever-controversial Sir Alec, and his equally controversial designs. Most events entered were sprints, but he also raced at circuits. There he witnessed the awe inspiring (and Nazi funded) Auto Union and Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix cars, as well as the Alfa Romeo P3 of Nuvolari, which won the race, much to the Nazis discomfort. A very enjoyable read on a man whose name I knew in conjunction with so many brilliant designs, but who I previously knew little about. Issigonis was probably privately satisfied with that arrangement, as it took him away from the daily grind of corporate management and designing production ready cars and back into the more conceptual field where he had the opportunity to use his innovative skills the kind of role Leonard Lord had originally given him twelve years earlier and which led to the Mini and the ADO16. The all-new Mini will be revealed today, on what would have been Mini creator Sir Alec Issigonis's 107th birthday. Styled by Pininfarina, it was launched as the Morris 1100 in 1962, and a year later as the Austin 1100, and the clean, classical lines of the car served BMC well. Morris 1100. It really showed up typical RWD cars of the time as being great space-wasters. When Alvis cancelled the project, Issigonis was invited by BMC Chairman Sir Leonard Lord to return to BMC at Longbridge, as Chief Body and Chassis engineer, and reporting to BMC Technical Director Sydney Smith. 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 1100 benefited from someone elses external design. is military terminology referring to "Government Issue" or "General Issue". Noch ein Mini (A Mini! 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 . Issigoniss legacy is undoubtedly best seen through his cars, from the Minor to the Maxi, which challenged conventions through engineering ingenuity. Sir Alec Issigonis hadn't even seen a car until he was 12 years old. Humber were more interested in the sales engineer than his product, and Issigonis moved to Humber in 1933. the outer planets, Uranus and Neptune were not yet discovered, since the telescope had not yet been invented. Designer Alec Issigonis was born in the southern Anatolian city of Smyrna in 1906. FamousBirthdays.com - use subject to the practices disclosed in our privacy policy. It was also a specialist low volume producer of expensive, exclusive sports saloons cars not now associated with Issigonis and was at the same crossroads that so many smaller, upscale producers had been. 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. : Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis , CBE, FRS, RDI 19061118-1988102 . And I myself have engineered a few things with the help of Jack Daniels . Sir Alec Issigonis started his career at Humber, known for their Humber Snipe and Humber Hawk models, even Queen Elizabeth II owned a Humber. Absolutely brilliant article about an engineering genius. He took advantage of other peoples suspension designs, Moultons rubber cones and the isolastic, as they freed up more space. Not sure how true it is, but I read somewhere that he even designed the ashtrays for the Minor. This was partly because of the cost but also because in 1953 Ford bought Briggs UK operations and 1954 BMC bought Fisher & Ludlow. A more powerful engine, bigger brakes and a few tuning tweaks later, the Classic Mini Cooper 997 was introduced. 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. Issigonis was dismissive of market research, The public dont know what they want; its my job to tell them and even mathematics, derided as the enemy of every truly creative man. Like many famous people and celebrities, Alec Issigonis kept his personal life private. Perhaps it was a trait that ran in the family. 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. But his true interest was in the 9X and its power unit, and getting a version of it accepted by BL. Your article sure did him justice; thank you, Roger. Alec Issigonis Related Authors Vivienne Westwood Quotes Virgil Abloh Quotes Coco Chanel Quotes Carroll Shelby Quotes This isnt 1942. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Alec Issigonis An expert is someone who tells you why you can't do something. Indeed gay sex was illegal in the UK until 1968 and for many years after prejudice was rife. That Alvis is one of those missed opportunities that ultimately doomed the company. In the face of all this mayhem, Mrs. Issigonis decided to migrate with Alex to Britain, a land neither knew. By 1938, Issigonis was lead engineer for steering and suspension for all the Morris car range. ADO15, 16 & 17 (36792752942).jpg 1 712 1 936; 589 KB Nkter data mohou pochzet z datov poloky. Issigonis customer in this case was Maurice Wilks, later the man behind the Land Rover. When is Alec Issigoniss birthday? Etsy Search for items or shops Close search Skip to Content Sign in 0 Cart Cyber Sales Event Jewelry & Accessories Clothing & Shoes The Mini quickly became cult and had enthusiastic fans worldwide. The family had an engineering business making marine engines and pumps, and it was from observing his father at work that he determined to become an engineer. He excelled in mechanical drawing, but failed his mathematics exams three times. Alec Issigonis. Issgonis preferred to work by sketching his ideas onto Arclight pads, each numbered in sequence and retained, and then having Daniels, looking after chassis elements, or another close confidant John Sheppard, looking after the body shell itself, work to turn these in physical reality. Generation. BMC was producing over 11,000 Issigonis-designed front-wheel-drive models a week, with demand still exceeding production, which was continually increased. His mother was Bavarian, the daughter of a brewer. And a rally demon was born. Certainly, it was not the right job for him, taking him too far away from the sketching and ideas, and into meetings about pay scale reviews and marketing policies. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Required fields are marked *. Daniels (right) and Sheppard (left), no doubt, had to smooth a few ruffled feathers on the way. info@oxbotica.com +44 (0)1865 433 998. [4] Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis, CBE, FRS, RDI (Alec Issigonis) was born on 18 November 1906 in Smyrna in Greece (now Izmir, Turkey) and would become world-renowned for designing the Mini and Morris Minor for BMC. LJK Setright, in his book The Designers describes Issigonis as working as a sculptor works, moving masses into different juxtapositions until his trained eye told him they were right. After returning to England in 1922, he enrolled in engineering school, failing mathematics at every turn. But this also reflects Issigoniss personal characteristics he was a strong minded, stubborn and arrogant man who did did not always have a lot of respect for others opinions and suggestions. The Mini was designed by. Engine access on the Mini was very awkward, and this was only improved on the ADO16 because Jack Daniels was able to keep Issigonis away from the detail work, which was largely done at Cowley in Oxford rather than Longbridge. Intriguingly, it seems that the car was possibly designed to be suitable for a front wheel drive layout, with a flat floor and compact Moulton rubber cone suspension, leaving a large and spacious engine bay. . He convinced Issigonis to ready the Mini for the Rallye Monte Carlo. Issigonis was to use Moultons suspension ideas on all his future cars, with Moulton working in a consultancy capacity to BMC. 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. It was still in production when BMW, led by Bernd Pischetsreider, bought Rover in 1994. In 1969, in recognition of his engineering genius, Queen Elizabeth granted him Knighthood. Sir Alec Issigonis, in full Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis, (born Nov. 18, 1906, Smyrna [now zmir], Tur.died Oct. 2, 1988, Birmingham, Eng. BMC had already developed, and asked outside consultants to develop, several concepts on various themes, none of which met the targets Lord had set, who was also determined to establish an internal capability to think, as we would now say, outside the box. Im sure this was never part of Issigoniss plan, as he was anti-style, but only the 1100 benefited from external help. (first posted 10/24/2016) Alec Issigonis, along with Sir Henry Royce and perhaps Colin Chapman, has the greatest name recognition in the UK for any British car designer or engineer. Alec completed his education at an English boarding school, and in 1925, took a two month tour, by car, of Europe with his mother before returning to take a place at Battersea Polytechnic in south London, to study mechanical engineering. One tidbit I recall: when the Morris Minor design was almost finished the book showed the designer holding a brass model of the car it was decided to add a few inches of width at the centerline. Enter your username or email to reset your password. Demosthenis's son (Alec's father) Constantine Issigonis (Greek: ), was born, with British nationality, in Smyrna in 1872. But it was an exciting period, and youve captured his personality and lasting impact well. Ford clinging to the T too long was the same sort of corporate inertia that had VW clinging to the Bug too long. His family had to flee Smyrne to es- cape the genocide of 1922 by the Turks. Alec Issigonis is a famous Entrepreneur. He was also responsible for the development of the Mini Moke, initially intended for military use, though it subsequently became another popular icon of British automotive engineering that, like the Mini, attained cult status. The end of the agreement came in 1986, when Issigonis wrote directly to Graham Day, BLs then new Chairman. Are you sure Renault had transverse-engine hatchbacks by 1974? XC/9002 became ADO16 and was launched as the Morris 1100 with the Hydrolastic interconnected suspension system in August 1962. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alec-Issigonis. While the intention was for the space efficient FWD cars to replace much of the existing overlapping BMC range (that all should have been hatchbacks in retrospect), it would have been interesting to see a rear-wheel drive Cortina rival with fully-independent suspension derived from Issigoniss work at Alvis to slot between the 1100/1300 and 1800/2200. After studying engineering, he joined Morris Motors in 1936 as a suspension designer. My doodles and sketches are not the work of an academic engineer. I think you can see a narrower car in one of the pre-production photos, above. An image from the 1964 Racing Car Show in the aftermath of the Mini's first Monte Carlo Rally win. Moulton also designed folding, rubber suspended small-wheeled bicycles. Issigonis went into the motor industry as an engineer and designer working for Humber and competed successfully in motor racing during the 1930s and 1940s.