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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. 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 . Sketch by the late Sir Alec Issigonis, of the original Morris Minor, circa 1946. My appreciation of Issigonis designs really came when Auntie Merle traded her Austin A30 (horrible car) for a Morris 1100. Despite its stated mission being to provide basic transport, this level of driving enjoyment, and capability, was like a non stop Christmas present. https://www.mini.com/ 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. This would have been in the early 70s when they were literally everywhere. A GLIMPSE INTO THE LIFE OF THE MINI FOUNDER. *27/02/01 The new Mini which will go on sale in the UK summer 2001, was , being unveiled for the first time. 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! Chinese Zodiac: Alec Issigonis was born in the Year of the Rabbit. As a matter of interest, go to this site: and click on the Letter From Dr. Alex Moulton link. Zodiac Sign: Alec Issigonis was a Scorpio. Issigonis was born on 18 November 1906 in the Ottoman port city of Smyrna, the only child of Constantine Issigonis and Hulda Prokopp. People born under this sign are seen as warm-hearted and easygoing. Mr. Front-Wheel Drive: Sir Alec Issigonis . However, there was more to his life than just one car. The Crossword Solver finds answers to classic crosswords and cryptic crossword puzzles. [4] His maternal ancestors originated in the Kingdom of Wrttemberg. 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. It was through his mother's kinships that Issigonis was a first cousin once removed to BMW and Volkswagen director Bernd Pischetsrieder.[5]. 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. I tell you the last time I was that close to a Japanese machine, it was shooting at me.. It was still in production when BMW, led by Bernd Pischetsreider, bought Rover in 1994. I got to drive his Red mini when I went for fish and chips on a Friday. 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. Joseph Lowrey, MOTOR: As soon [], Mr Alec Issigoniss New B.M.C. Alec Issigonis nasceu na Turquia Filho de um grego naturalizado britnico casado com uma turca. His name will always be associated with the Morris Minor and the Mini, but he was a complex man with a complex background, family, story and career. Generation. By 1938, Issigonis was lead engineer for steering and suspension for all the Morris car range. IAN NICHOLLS recalls the day the two millionth rolled off the production line [], A team of the worlds leading motoring writers, along with voters on the internet, have short-listed the legendary Mini for the ultimate motoring accolade the international Car of the [], THE GUARDIAN Lord Stokes writes about the late Sir Alec Issigonis: Alec Issigonis was a very charming and persuasive person, and a brilliant innovative engineer with a considerable capacity for [], Rover Group consultant Sir Alec Issigonis writes to chairman Graham Day. [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. [13], He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1967. It was more like a Lancia or a rear drive Citroen than a Rover or a Sunbeam-Talbot. Daniels (right) and Sheppard (left), no doubt, had to smooth a few ruffled feathers on the way. So Sir Alec Issigonis had an impact on my life. 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. Issigonis first concepts were rear wheel drive, with a conventional drive train, fully independent suspension set on a long wheelbase with short overhangs and very rudimentary styling. Absolutely brilliant article about an engineering genius. Lord was looking for modernity, but he was also looking for commonality of engines, good quality design and cars good enough to be amongst the best in their class and internationally competitive. Not sure how true it is, but I read somewhere that he even designed the ashtrays for the Minor. The loss of British sovereignty led not only to a political defeat but also to an oil crisis. It certainly appeared by the Maxi development era that Issigonis wanted to "do his own thing" as cost cutting and development costs spiraled. XC/9002 became ADO16 and was launched as the Morris 1100 with the Hydrolastic interconnected suspension system in August 1962. In 1936, Issigonis moved again, to the Morris Motor Company, as a project engineer on an independent front suspension system for the Morris 10, where his experience at Rootes would start to bear fruit. The cars quickly found their way to the scrapheap since the cost of repairing the automatic transmission typically was more than the car was worth. Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis, CBE, FRS terkenal kerana menjadi pencipta kereta Mini yang menjadi ikon tahun 1960-an. 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. This post and its visuals and videos explains this pivotal vector of the international industry with such clarity and depth. THE CREATOR OF AN ICONIC CAR: ALEC ISSIGONIS. His mother was from Bavaria. Comprehensive article. Alvis had a strong military business building armoured cars and personnel carriers, and this part of the business is still going strong as part of BAE Systems. In 1961, a shipload of Minis suffered mild water damage on their journey to the east coast of US. . The mini leaked like a sieve because of the way hed designed the sills and had to be redesigned. When is Alec Issigoniss birthday? There was a good reason for BMC selecting him for this task, for Issigonis was born in Izmir. He was born on November 18, 1906 and his birthplace is Turkey. I was amazed at the amount of space in that car you could even hide things in the cubbyhole under the rear seat. Humber was the upscale brand of the Rootes Group, but also the name of the main car building company in the Group. By 1941, Issigonis had started work on an advanced post war car, then codenamed Mosquito, which became the Morris Minor. There was a long drive way that ran along the school cafeteria that parents used to drop off students in the morning. However, his story proves: never give up your dreams even if life puts obstacles in your way. In 1934 Issigonis was invited to join the drawing office at Humber Ltd in Coventry. Sir Alec Issigonis, in full Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis, (born Nov. 18, 1906, Smyrna [now zmir], Tur.died Oct. 2, 1988, Birmingham, Eng. Building 9400 Oxford Business Park North Alec Issigonis Way Oxford OX4 2HN The key point to the genesis of the Minor is that Issigonis owned the whole design, including the exterior style, the interior,which had some of the starkness and simple functionality familiar from Issigoniss later designs. Bernd Peter Pischetsrieder. Sir Alec Issigonis hadn't even seen a car until he was 12 years old. If only it had had more power and better gearing. Look what happened to Alan Turing. Issigonis and his team produced a revolutionary car that featured a small exterior with a spacious passenger compartment and outstanding handling characteristics. Alec's mother, Hulda Prokopp, could trace her origins back to Wrttemberg (now part of Germany). 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? 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 . I was mesmerized and I saw my schoolmate being dropped off by his older brother who was on his way to high school. He worked on various projects for Morris through the war and towards its end started work on an advanced post war car codenamed Mosquito that became the Morris Minor, which was produced from 1948 until 1971. 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. I saw this tiny car among the Buicks Oldsmobiles Mercurys and Chevrolet Impalas that were the usual fare. A deeply flawed genius at best. 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 . At some point in the mid-60s they ran an After the New Wears Off feature by an MG 1100 owner in Los Angeles. [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. 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. Dr.Ing. Issigonis became a fellow of the Royal Society in 1967 and was knighted in 1969. He attended Londons Battersea Polytechnic before entering the University of London External Programme. 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. [3][6] His father died shortly after and Issigonis and his mother moved to the United Kingdom in 1923. 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. The innovation he created by switching the orientation of the engine, changing the traditional transmission to a transaxle and sending power to the front wheels was a magnificent idea! [9] He was cremated at the Lodge Hill Cemetery in nearby Selly Oak. 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. It had one option an AM radio, hung below the dash. is military terminology referring to "Government Issue" or "General Issue". Been a fan of Alec Issigonis since I was 8 years old. However, at the end of 1956, following fuel rationing brought about by the Suez Crisis, Issigonis was ordered by Lord to bring the smaller car, XC/9003, to production as quickly as possible. The initials "G.I." Issigonis customer in this case was Maurice Wilks, later the man behind the Land Rover. Ive often wondered how its 35 horses managed the Berkshires . 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. 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. I wouldnt say Day was offended but took it as evidence that Issigoniss time has passed and that the value Rover were getting from the consultancy was minimal, and it was effectively indulging Issigonis, something Turnbull and Donald Stokes could afford t0 do (and knew looked rational) in 1970. Great summary of a giant of industrial design. 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. JUMP TO: Alec Issigoniss biography, facts, family, personal life, zodiac, videos and related celebs. 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. But accounts do suggest it done in a pretty crass way. 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. . Shunning all offers of silver service with the management. This car basically took the Mini concept and enlarged it by 20%, adding some experience, and ambition, at the same time. This was partly because of the cost but also because in 1953 Ford bought Briggs UK operations and 1954 BMC bought Fisher & Ludlow. 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. His mother was Bavarian, the daughter of a brewer. I was amazed at the amount of space in that car you could even hide things in the cubbyhole under the rear seat. Are you sure Renault had transverse-engine hatchbacks by 1974? File nella categoria "Alec Issigonis" Questa categoria contiene 5 file, indicati di seguito, su un totale di 5. Generation also known as The Greatest Generation. Was it to be water or air cooled? Issigonis planned two versions, known as the TA/350 with a 3.5 litre V8 and TA/175 with a 1750cc, V4 engine. Towards the end of WW2, he began work on the Mosquito project, which ended up being launched in 1948 as the Morris Minor. Looking at the Minor or the Mini, I can believe that. 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. But, as ever, events intervened in this case the Suez Crisis of 1956, complete with petrol rationing. This prototype never saw the light of day mores the pity. 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. In the face of all this mayhem, Mrs. Issigonis decided to migrate with Alex to Britain, a land neither knew. Morris 1100. Issigonis also insisted that no less than 80% of the cars volume be dedicated to passengers and luggage. View 6 Images. German Engineer Who Designed And Built The First Practical Automobile (Crossword ClueThe crossword clue German engineer who designed and built the first practical automobile. 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. Most events entered were sprints, but he also raced at circuits. He convinced Issigonis to ready the Mini for the Rallye Monte Carlo. The Mini remains one of the most important motoring icons of the 1960s, so it's only natural that the band would want a piece of the action as Beatles mania took hold. At the opening of the factory BMC was represented by Sir Alec Issigonis. By October 1959, the Mini was on sale and when the press first got their hands on BMCs new car, they were not shy to praise it; the Minis unique personality, exceptional space efficiency, lively performance and tenacious front-wheel-drive handling meant that it was a sure fire hit with the critics. 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. His mother was from Bavaria. Noch ein Mini! Alec Issigonis, technical director of the British Motor Corporation and Charles Griffin, chief engineer, answer questions from our technical editor. But it was an exciting period, and youve captured his personality and lasting impact well. Noch ein Mini (A Mini! I saw that same car several times, so, at least in nice weather, it apparently was a daily driver. Independence is one of their greatest strengths, but sometimes they're overly frank with others. 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. Meanwhile from 1930, he raced a supercharged Ulster Austin Seven, and fitted it with an independent front suspension of his own design. Your email address will not be published. Apparently Walter Chrysler could also be difficult to work with. Alec Issigonis The public don't know what they want; it's my job to tell them. I saw about 3 Americas in the wild that I can remember, and 1 example of the earlier MG 1100 Sport Sedan. Cylcops center guage; magic wand shift-lever; and bus-sized steering wheel. Issigonis was giving punters what they needed, rather than what they wanted. Red: Yeah, its mine. Morriss chief engineer, A V (Vic) Oak, recognised that Issigoniss greatest asset was his imagination but also noted that it needed to be guided firmly but carefully to bring out the best of it. as an American familiar only with U.S. cars. He was also referred to as the Greek God, perhaps more openly. I have liked them ever since. From then onwards, any car in the small or medium market without a transverse engine was considered unusual, and conservative. Indeed gay sex was illegal in the UK until 1968 and for many years after prejudice was rife. Brilliant cars! The floor is flat and low to the ground and windows all round make it seem very airy. The Automotive Hall of Fame. [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). Upon meeting Alec, she is shy and ashamed . That is how many of us know about these cars or about many 1960s British cars, in general. Issigonis (standing) with the special at Shelsey Walsh hillclimb. As British subjects - his father having naturalised whilst studying engineering in London in 1897 - Issigonis and his parents were evacuated to Malta by the Royal Navy in September 1922 ahead of the Great Fire of Smyrna and the Turkish capture of Smyrna at the end of the Greco-Turkish War.