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Kereta rekaannya, BMC Mini dilancarkan dalam tahun 1959. George Harriman, Leonard Lord and Alec Issogonis. 41 Copy quote. Most events entered were sprints, but he also raced at circuits. 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. Thanks for this terrific bio on one of the all-time greats in the field. This strong streak of fierce independence and lack of compromise hid his lateral approach to the design and engineering of cars. Tragically, Constantine Issigonis contracted a serious illness, and died in Malta in June 1923. He was retired from British Leyland in 1971, memorably being given a Meccano kit for his leaving present. 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. The loss of British sovereignty led not only to a political defeat but also to an oil crisis. Alec is . Shunning all offers of silver service with the management. I think you can see a narrower car in one of the pre-production photos, above. AROnline Keith Adams 2001-2022 - please refer to the 'Terms of use' pages. I was amazed at the amount of space in that car you could even hide things in the cubbyhole under the rear seat. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Sketch by the late Sir Alec Issigonis, of the original Morris Minor, circa 1946. I remember the Austin America when new, not an impressive car to me in any way . 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. The first car I could identify was apparently a Mini and my mother still tells the story of an early trip to England where I wouldnt be quiet Ein Mini! The Automotive Hall of Fame. Autokonstrukteur, GBPortrt mit Zigarette- 1959. British car designer best remembered for his work on the development of the iconic Mini. That Alvis is one of those missed opportunities that ultimately doomed the company. 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. Another Mini! I have liked them ever since. Alecs father, Constantine Issigonis, who was born in Smyrna in 1872, studied in England, and subsequently returned to Smyrna, keeping the engineering business going through the First World War and maintaining his British citizenship. Alecs education details are not available at this time. Issigoniss legacy is undoubtedly best seen through his cars, from the Minor to the Maxi, which challenged conventions through engineering ingenuity. XC/9002 became ADO16 and was launched as the Morris 1100 with the Hydrolastic interconnected suspension system in August 1962. Found an ad for the US market 1100. Hulda Issigonis then returned to Malta, leaving sixteen year old Alec alone in London, returning only after Constantine had died. Chinese Zodiac: Alec Issigonis was born in the Year of the Rabbit. He managed to obtain his Diploma, but was not admitted to advanced studies. 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. The Minor was, of course, a huge success, for Nuffield and for Issigonis. Alec Issigonis 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. Rover used the freewheel extensively, on cars and Land Rovers, into the 1960s. 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. 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. Issigonis had a reputation, deserved by all accounts, for arrogance and irascibility, an inability to suffer fools at all, and restricted his contact to as a small as a group as he could. Proslavil se zejmna nvrhem vozu Mini, kter uvedla na trh British Motor Corporation v . His motor industry career at Humber, and during his time there, he competed in motor racing notably designing his own lightweight version of a supercharged Ulster Austin Seven with his own front axle. Alec Issigonis (Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis) was born in Smyrna in the Ottoman Empire (now Izmir, Turkey). View gallery - 6 images. Back in 1980 a friends father of mine who was a MP sergeant owned a then new Mini Cooper 1275 cc. Address 8050 Alec Issigonis Way, Oxford Business Park North, Oxford, OX4 2HW. His grandfather Demosthenis Issigonis . Etsy Search for items or shops Close search Skip to Content Sign in 0 Cart Cyber Sales Event Jewelry & Accessories Clothing & Shoes [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. Great summary of a giant of industrial design. in there was a 1 hr "The Mini Man " -Sir Alec Issigonis 1906 - 1988 by great friend and car fanatic Peter Ustinov. Issigonis was born on 18 November 1906 in the Ottoman port city of Smyrna, the only child of Constantine Issigonis and Hulda Prokopp. A GLIMPSE INTO THE LIFE OF THE MINI FOUNDER. 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. Perhaps it was a trait that ran in the family. JUMP TO: Alec Issigoniss biography, facts, family, personal life, zodiac, videos and related celebs. Sir Alec Issigonis hadn't even seen a car until he was 12 years old. 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. 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.. Alec Issigonis . 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. By 1938, Issigonis was lead engineer for steering and suspension for all the Morris car range. An image from the 1964 Racing Car Show in the aftermath of the Mini's first Monte Carlo Rally win. It was designed to follow on from the Mini and 1100 as the next generation . By placing an A series four cylinder engine transversely with the gearbox underneath in the sump and sharing the oil, and moving the wheels to the corners, he saved so much space that it was possible to accommodate a four seat car within a length of 10 feet. It was at Alvis that Issigonis first worked with another of the influential characters of his career. The childhood . Unless it was at some very small, unique company; something like TVR comes to mind. Post FROM OUR MIDLAND CORRESPONDENT BIRMINGHAM, Nov. 13 The name of the man who will head the British Motor Corporations new amalgamated design unit when []. Apparently Walter Chrysler could also be difficult to work with. Issigonis continued to work as Engineering Director at the Austin-Morris Division of BMC, and as Technical Director of BMC in 1965. If only it had had more power and better gearing. His father died in 1922, at which point he and his mother moved to the U.K.. The MG 1100 Sport Sedan a perfect choice when a two-seater MG is too small. 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. SOL 258H is the oldest surviving gearless car and was the preferred transport of Sir Alex Issigonis. 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. . Not sure how true it is, but I read somewhere that he even designed the ashtrays for the Minor. [11], Issigonis was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1964 Birthday Honours. Chrysler also took a licence to manufacture the device, which was an integral part of their pioneering overdrive in 1934. Issigonis customer in this case was Maurice Wilks, later the man behind the Land Rover. Enter your username or email to reset your password. Are you sure Renault had transverse-engine hatchbacks by 1974? [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. Enter the length or pattern for better results. A more powerful engine, bigger brakes and a few tuning tweaks later, the Classic Mini Cooper 997 was introduced. The third front wheel drive car from BMC was the 1964 ADO17 Austin 1800 (or Landcrab), a car which Issigonis has been quoted as identifying as the design he was most proud of, and then the Austin Maxi in 1969 with less successful results. 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. [], In Part One of this fascinating series, which originally appeared in Vehicle Engineer,AROnline Contributor IanElliott applies his insider knowledge to spelling out the exact sequence of mergers that led to [], Photography: Martin Bell One of the design team who worked on the original Mini has revealed how the revolutionary small car came about. Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Death and commemorations 4 Some of his cars There he developed the Morris Minor, which remained in production from 1948 to 1971. The greatest overall compatibility with Scorpio is Taurus and Cancer. He died in October 1988, aged 82. Issigonis had also been involved in the larger Oxford, Isis and Wolseley ranges. There were, as CC has seen, many and varied reasons for the failure of the Landcrab and Maxi: the control (or rather the lack of it) exercised by Lord and Harriman over Issigonis; the inherited components; and marketing and production issues. The problem was that I would never have initially chosen to drive one. Gillett was developing a freewheel device for use on cars, partly as a refinement and fuel economy device, and partly to reduce the need for double declutching gearchanges in the pre-synchromesh era. The Crossword Solver finds answers to classic crosswords and cryptic crossword puzzles. Even more significantly, it effectively defined the configuration of the small and medium car for the next 50 years. His father was a successful shipbuilding engineer, whose own father was from the Greek island, Paros. [5]:277. The Renault 14 was transversely engined, from 1976. 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 persisted in this into the 1980s, competing in vain against the Austin Metro, an improved version of the BMC A series engine and seemingly oblivious to the Companys financial state. 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. Designer Alec Issigonis was born in the southern Anatolian city of Smyrna in 1906. 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. Aos 16 mudou-se para Inglaterra onde iria cursar engenharia. Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis was born into the Greek community of Smyrnain Ottoman Turkey. Maybe because theyd lost the Issigonis chassis manners? He was knighted in 1969 and was honored by the city of Oxford with a street named after him, Alec Issigonis Way. He [], DAILY EXPRESS By David Benson Harry Webster is a quiet, unassuming, generous man of 54. BLMC says, Archive : Lord Stokes writes to Alec Issigonis, Archive : How Harry Webster is going to shape your car, Archive : The Thoughts of Chairman Stokes, Archive : Issigonis The Giant Who Thought Small, Archive : Creative role for Issigonis in BMC board switch, Archive : Mr Issigonis looks to the future, Archive : Interview Motor meets Alec Issigonis, The cars : Alfa Romeo Alfasud development story, Opinion : Celebrating 40 years of the Austin Maestro, Essay : Austin Maestro styling the real killer, Concepts and prototypes : LM10 and LM11 facelifts, Archive : Coventry Council Debates Rover Crisis, News : PSA confirms continued van production in Luton. I was amazed at the amount of space in that car you could even hide things in the cubbyhole under the rear seat. Issigonis also insisted that no less than 80% of the cars volume be dedicated to passengers and luggage. Updates? At this time, he was working for Maurice Olley. [], The Mini is 63 years old this week. . Sir Alec Issigonis. Thanks for a wonderfully researched article! [], BMC changed the world with the launch of the Mini in 1959. Fascinating lost papers from the man who created the Mini and the. Dr.Ing. 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. Issigonis then went back to the British Motor Corporation, where the influence of many political factors led him to his major breakthrough. In 1942, Morris gave Issigonis overall responsibility for an all-new model; the Morris Minor. [7] This ground-breaking design, with its front wheel drive, transverse engine, sump gearbox, 10-inch wheels, and phenomenal space efficiency, was still being manufactured in 2000 and has been the inspiration for almost all small front-wheel drive cars produced since the early 1960s. Alec Issigonis It is much easier to drive without having an accident. Innovative. (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. They represent many years of design study in attempts to produce the best value for money in the field of small car design. I do not know how many I have owned Morrises, Austins and MGs. He was born in 1906 in a city that is now known as Izmir, in Turkey which itself can trace its . 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. I saw that same car several times, so, at least in nice weather, it apparently was a daily driver. I have heard some slander about his idea of putting the gearbox in the engine sump, but otherwise, he changed transportation for the masses on a scale not seen since Henry Ford. His father Constantine Issigonis was a successful shipbuilding engineer, whose own father was from Paros. A truly fascinating man he was. The Minor, Mini, ADO16 and Landcrab all had character, and were all friendly cars. He attended Londons Battersea Polytechnic before entering the University of London External Programme. Issigonis spent his early years as an engineer with Morris Motors working on steering and suspension. 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). Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. 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. Please check back soon for updates. * Commander of the British Empire (1964), Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (1967), Royal Designer for Industry (1964). Decades later, despite enormous further developments, the vehicle has lost none of its initial charm. The Mini was launched in 1959, and became instantly popular. ), British automobile designer who created the best-selling, economical Mini and the perennially popular Morris Minor. This page is updated often with fresh details about Alec Issigonis.