But the story begins even further back, with a man named Demosthenis, Alec's grandfather, who emigrated from Greece to Asia-Minor in the 1830s and worked for the Smyrna-Aydn Railway. [12], In 1964 Issigonis was appointed a Royal Designer for Industry (RDI). Your email address will not be published. Alec Issigonis: The Man Who Made the Mini, Sir Alec Issigonis, 81; Designer of Minicar And Morris Minor. Noch ein Mini! By early 1957, prototypes were running, and by mid-1957 the project was given an official drawing office project number (ADO15) so that the thousands of drawings required for production could be produced. 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. 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. Fascinating lost papers from the man who created the Mini and the. Oxford Office. In 1969, in recognition of his engineering genius, Queen Elizabeth granted him Knighthood. 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. He excelled in mechanical drawing, but failed his mathematics exams three times. His efforts were concentrated on two things continuing to promote the 1968 9X concept to BLMC, and working on the concept of a gearless version of the Mini, using a torque converter, that was not a technical success. There was no radio fitted as he thought it would distract the driver. Alec Issigonis nasceu na Turquia Filho de um grego naturalizado britnico casado com uma turca. Biography: Sir ALEC issigonis - The designer of Britain's favourite cars, Britain's favourite car designer . Humber were more interested in the sales engineer than his product, and Issigonis moved to Humber in 1933. 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. Alec Issigonis - Wikipedia Bahasa Melayu, ensiklopedia bebas Moultons hydrolastic suspension as installed on the BMC ADO16 by Issigonis. Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis ( 18. listopadu 1906 Smyrna - 2. jna 1988 Birmingham) byl ecko - britsk automobilov konstruktr narozen na zem dnenho Turecka. I fist saw a Mini on my way to middle school in 1965. The greatest overall compatibility with Scorpio is Taurus and Cancer. Alec Issigonis Related Authors Vivienne Westwood Quotes Virgil Abloh Quotes Coco Chanel Quotes Carroll Shelby Quotes Issigonis Prototype 1970 Mini 9X - atwellwilson.org.uk [3] Whilst he is most famous for his creation of the Mini, he was most proud of his participation in the design of the Morris Minor. He failed his degree course but gained a diploma in Mechanical Engineering, at the third attempt, in 1928. 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. Indeed gay sex was illegal in the UK until 1968 and for many years after prejudice was rife. Discover what happened on this day. His retirement gift from the company was the largest available Meccano set, complete with a steam engine. Issigonis was giving punters what they needed, rather than what they wanted. The above photo is a publicity shot with the first produced Mini, at his retirement in 1972. Generation also known as The Greatest Generation. Bernd Peter Pischetsrieder. Alec Issigonis, technical director of the British Motor Corporation and Charles Griffin, chief engineer, answer questions from our technical editor. The Automotive Hall of Fame. I saw one, in 79 or 80, sold here as the MG Sports Sedan. Issigonis grandfather, Demosthenis Issigonis, had emigrated from Paros in Greece to Smyrna (as Izmir was then known) in the mid 19th century where his engineering company helped the British built the Smyrna-Aydn Railway, and through this acquired British citizenship. Alec Issigonis - the genius behind the Mini and the Morris Minor - AROnline I am well acquainted with the brilliant/stubborn/arrogant type of engineer, I have occasionally served as a Daniels, and my own brilliant/stubborn/arrogant Grandfather could have probably used one too. In response to the Suez Oil Crisis, British Motor Company asked Issigonis to head the development of a small, fuel-efficient car that would become the Morris Mini. Found an ad for the US market 1100. If (and I have no evidence and make no suggestions) a young Issigonis had been outed in, say, the early 1950s, his career progression would likely have been ended even, without any prosecution. The war prevented this design from going into production but it was later used on the MG Y-type. Sir Alec Issigonis: an insight into the great man, from an interview originally published in Autocar magazine to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the launch of the Mini. There was a long drive way that ran along the school cafeteria that parents used to drop off students in the morning. Address 8050 Alec Issigonis Way, Oxford Business Park North, Oxford, OX4 2HW. 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. But his true interest was in the 9X and its power unit, and getting a version of it accepted by BL. It amounted to no more than surface rust on the chassis. Yes, it ran like hell when operable as the owner treated it like an Army Jeep. 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. At the end of 1955, Issigonis was recruited back into BMC - this time into the Austin plant at Longbridge - by its chairman Sir Leonard Lord, to design a new model family of three cars. An image from the 1964 Racing Car Show in the aftermath of the Mini's first Monte Carlo Rally win. Issigoniss legacy is undoubtedly best seen through his cars, from the Minor to the Maxi, which challenged conventions through engineering ingenuity. At the time of his retirement, 71, hatchbacks were not the thing they were 4 years later. [4] Issigonis' creation was remarkable, but it really only became a Mini when he got a little help from his friend, motorsport pioneer John Cooper. His mother was from Bavaria. In 1952, just as the British Motor Corporation (BMC) was formed by the merger of Morris and Austin, he moved to Alvis Cars where he designed an advanced saloon with all-aluminium V-8 engine, and experimented with interconnected independent suspension systems. During the Second World War, Britain was in control of the Suez Canal, which served as an important source of oil, but this changed during the so called Suez crisis in 1956. They kept it several years until they decided they needed their 1st air-conditioned car a 66 LeMans. Alec Issigonis An expert is someone who tells you why you can't do something. Click the answer to find similar crossword clues . The initials "G.I." In 1952, the year BMC was formed, he moved to Alvis where he designed an advanced saloon, and experimented with interconnected independent suspension systems. As a matter of interest, go to this site: and click on the Letter From Dr. Alex Moulton link. Not something one would anticipate until it is experienced. 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. Sort By: Better Essays. https://www.mini.com/ Speaking of steering, one of the earlier reviews of the Mini contained the sentence, This is the first car Ive driven that caused me to laugh out loud just going around a corner ! Or words to that effect . Issigonis would later state that pure mathematics (is) the enemy of every truly creative man. He began his engineering career at Morris Motors Ltd. in 1936 as a steering and suspension engineer. Therefore some functionality is missing. As a person whos worked as a CAD drafter for 24 years, I wonder what his objection to CAD was. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. 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. 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? Not sure how true it is, but I read somewhere that he even designed the ashtrays for the Minor. (The Maxi, by comparison, was a bland lump.). 18 November 1906 2 October 1988", Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society, " Alec Issigonis | Automotive Hall of Fame", Alec Issigonis Automotive Designer (19061988), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alec_Issigonis&oldid=1135124708, This page was last edited on 22 January 2023, at 19:54. [5]:277. 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. Alec Issigonis Facts for Kids - Kiddle Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis (Greek: , )CBE FRS RDI (18 November 1906 2 October 1988) was a British-Greek automotive designer. Diz lenda que ele considerava a rigidez . Manual transmissions seemed to hold up ok,lasting at least as long as the engine. The Minor, Mini, ADO16 and Landcrab all had character, and were all friendly cars. The Axis Powers? [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. His fingerprints are all over other cars, too, the Austin 1800 Land Crab and the Austin Maxi for example, but not always as successfully, as we shall see. Ford clinging to the T too long was the same sort of corporate inertia that had VW clinging to the Bug too long. 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. Sketch by the late Sir Alec Issigonis, of the original Morris Minor, circa 1946. All Rights Reserved. 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. His father, a successful and wealthy shipbuilding engineer, was of Greek origin but held a British passport. British car designer best remembered for his work on the development of the iconic Mini. In 1957, Issigonis received the project that would make him famous. Sounds like his stubbornness had a lot in common with Henry Ford and his reluctance to move on from the Model T. Imagine trying to take him seriously when he declared an uncomfortable driver is an alert driver. Oxbotica Toronto Office. Probably the closest British comparison is the Jaguar Mk 1 which came out in 1955 and was produced at a rate of around 10-15,000 for thirteen years. 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. Beatles' Minis: Cars belonging to McCartney, Harrison and Ringo are on This greatly modified machine was replaced with a radical special completed in 1939, constructed of plywood laminated in aluminium sheeting. 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. This prototype was never manufactured because its cost was beyond Alvis's resources. Alec Issigonis Net Worth, Age, Bio, Birthday, Height, Facts The ease of driving it, attributable to Issigoniss careful and thoughtful suspension and steering design, as well as the comparatively low weight of the car, were factors in that as well as the comfort and space it provided. History of MINI - Story, Heritage & Origins | MINI USA I saw about 3 Americas in the wild that I can remember, and 1 example of the earlier MG 1100 Sport Sedan. He often had to be discreetly talked through financial documents when he was in the board meetings. . It was apparent to Morriss senior managers that Issigonis was cut from a different cloth compared to his contemporaries. You serve us all wonderfully. 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. Stokes was heard on his appointment to say: "We'll sharp sort this bloke Issigonis out!". The loss of British sovereignty led not only to a political defeat but also to an oil crisis. Although primarily a station car, my parents also took it on a vacation through New England. Enter your username or email to reset your password. The son of a Greek merchant, Issigonis immigrated to London in 1922 during the war between Greece and Turkey. Issigoniss mother, Hulda Prokopp, was descended from a Bavarian brewing family who had settled in Smyrna, and established a brewery. Addresses | OxfordBiomedica Please check back soon for updates. Alec Issigonis was born in 1900s. 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. Mr. Front-Wheel Drive: Sir Alec Issigonis - Academia.edu [11], Issigonis was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1964 Birthday Honours. 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. 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. Chrysler also took a licence to manufacture the device, which was an integral part of their pioneering overdrive in 1934. Cooper took the prototype out for a spin and realised this fuel-saving people's car cornered like no other. Alec Issigonis is a famous Entrepreneur. My appreciation of Issigonis designs really came when Auntie Merle traded her Austin A30 (horrible car) for a Morris 1100. It had one option an AM radio, hung below the dash. Lord Alfred Robens , Chairman of the National Coal Board, wearing cap and gown as he is installed as the new Chancellor of the University of . Happy birthday to the Mini! It was through his mother's kinships that Issigonis was a first cousin once removed to BMW and Volkswagen director Bernd Pischetsrieder.[5]. The Landcrab and Maxi were so butt ugly that no self respecting petrolhead would be seen it one. Therefore, when Alec's father, Constantine Issigonis, was born in Smyrna in 1872, he was also a British national. Sir Alec Issigonis 1906 - 1988 - Solar Navigator However, his story proves: never give up your dreams even if life puts obstacles in your way. an alec issigonis family car launched in 1969 (6,4) Crossword Clue Learn more. Biography: Sir Alec Issigonis - Curbside Classic Constantine was very proud of his British citizenship and Alec grew up in a traditional British type of household. [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. The MG 1100 Sport Sedan a perfect choice when a two-seater MG is too small. Alec Issigonis: straight from a family thrilled by technology. All Rights Reserved. Issigonis then went back to the British Motor Corporation, where the influence of many political factors led him to his major breakthrough. Alec issigonis hi-res stock photography and images - Alamy Alec Issigonis Net Worth 2023: Wiki Bio, Married, Dating, Family This isnt 1942. Sir Alec Issigonis - Driven To Write Alec Issigonis was a Greek-British automobile engineer and designer, best known for designing the Mini, a compact car that became a cultural icon in Britain and other countries. BMC was producing over 11,000 Issigonis-designed front-wheel-drive models a week, with demand still exceeding production, which was continually increased. Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Death and commemorations 4 Some of his cars Alec Issigonis | Automotive Hall of Fame The family is almost penniless. Historiography: The Misapplication of Issigonis' Engineering Breakthrough At some point in the mid-60s they ran an After the New Wears Off feature by an MG 1100 owner in Los Angeles. He was flattered to be copied, though. Most events he entered were sprints and hillclimbs, but he also competed in some circuit races. Copyright 2011 - 2023 Curbside Classics. Sir Alec Constantine Issigonis, born in Smyrna, Ottoman Empire on November 18, 1906, is famous for designing the beloved Mini Cooper motor car. He title at Alvis was Engineer in charge of passenger car design. By the time the chassis had been completed (hard labourit was all done by hand, no power tools), Issigonis had moved to Morris Motors Limited, but Austin supplied a "works" specification supercharged side-valve engine. He still worked to his consultancy agreement but did so almost exclusively from home, briefing and debriefing nominated BL engineers each morning. Alec Issigonis The public don't know what they want; it's my job to tell them. 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. At the age of 30 he worked for the Morris Engineering Department and celebrated his first success with the construction of the Morris Minor. Enter a Crossword Clue Sort by Length He would instead research work on his Mini replacement the 9X with its compact transverse engine. Noch ein Mini! 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. His family had to flee Smyrne to es- cape the genocide of 1922 by the Turks. the outer planets, Uranus and Neptune were not yet discovered, since the telescope had not yet been invented. People over the road from us had a Wolseley Six (top of the range Landcrab) when we were kids. He also has one of the finest technical brains in the country and he is [], THE GUARDIAN IAN BREACH interviews LORD STOKES Safety: British or American standards? A British citizen born in Turkey in 1906, Issigonis did not see an automobile until he was 12 years old. Unfortunately I didnt turn out quite as brilliant, but I like to think I missed out some of the stubbornness/arrogance as well. He was reluctant to consider features such as large boots or hatchbacks, or engine access, as important. For many years he was known informally as Arragonis, and was either sufficiently confident in himself or sufficiently lacking in understanding to use that name himself on occasions. His mother was Bavarian, the daughter of a brewer. Alec Issigonis - Career - LiquiSearch Morris Minor 1000s , Dropheads, Travelers , Panel Van, and Pick up trucks. Morris 1100. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Sir Alec Issigonis celebrates one of the many milestones of the Mini dynasty. If only it had had more power and better gearing. 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. 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. As his father studied in London, being an engineer, the family were British subjects and were thus evacuated to Malta by the Royal Navy in September 1922, ahead of the Great Fire of Smyrna at the end of the . Unique. He died in October 1988, aged 82. MG 1100/1300 Register - NAMGBR Sticks in my mind I read a road test that put engine speed at 60 around 4,000rpm. He was impossible to work with, had Henry Fords arrogance and nearly bankrupted the company like Ford, by refusing to listen to anyone. The suspension was also of advanced design, with trailing arm front suspension attached to a steel cross-member, and swing axle rear, all with rubber springs made of catapult elastic. 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 . The mini leaked like a sieve because of the way hed designed the sills and had to be redesigned. Chinese Zodiac: Alec Issigonis was born in the Year of the Rabbit. I appreciate the research the depth and the smooth writing style to present it all in a gripping way. When he turned his attention to the ADO16, Issigonis continued his obsession with the maximisation of passenger space combined with the best possible road holding. 104 Alec Issigonis Premium High Res Photos - Getty Images Issigonis never married; most accounts suggest that he was probably gay but he was obviously unable to express himself without huge risk to his professional status and even the risk of prosecution. [], The most comprehensive story youll ever read about the aborted 9X programme the ill-fated Mini replacement, engineered by the man who created the original. Issigonis usually won, even when entered in the 1100cc class if there was no 750cc category. I remember being quite put off by the sound of the engine seemingly racing to maintain 45mph. [3][6] His father died shortly after and Issigonis and his mother moved to the United Kingdom in 1923. Alec Issigonis It is much easier to drive without having an accident. Alec's mother, Hulda Prokopp, could trace her origins back to Wrttemberg (now part of Germany). Youre right about maintenance. [1][2], Issigonis was born on 18 November 1906 in the Ottoman port city of Smyrna, the only child of Constantine Issigonis and Hulda Prokopp. Was it to be front or rear engined? Issigonis died in England in 1988 at the age of 81, having lived long enough to see his beloved Mini sell in excess of five million units.
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