Kereta rekaannya, BMC Mini dilancarkan dalam tahun 1959. The 1100 benefited from someone elses external design. 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! Issigonis' creation was remarkable, but it really only became a Mini when he got a little help from his friend, motorsport pioneer John Cooper. Alec Issigonis: straight from a family thrilled by technology. He was able to share his engineering and automotive interests, through frequent tours of Longbridge in the 1960s, with a first cousin once removed on his mothers side of his family, who later completed a mechanical engineering degree and followed a career in the motor industry. The original plan called for a large family car by 1960, to be followed by a smaller car and then a city car. Then of course there was severe corrosion in the face of road salt. Towards the end of WW2, he began work on the Mosquito project, which ended up being launched in 1948 as the Morris Minor. Giving the Mini, ADO16 and ADO17 were all designed well before hatchbacks were popular, the beancounters no doubt would be up in arms at the thought of spending more money on tooling for an already old design. [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). Bernd Peter Pischetsrieder. During this time he started to build a special sprint racer with a friend. Lords instruction was the one Issigonis had been waiting for, and he quickly developed the first Mini prototype. 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. He was knighted in 1969 and was honored by the city of Oxford with a street named after him, Alec Issigonis Way. Issigonis was born on 18 November 1906 in the Ottoman port city of Smyrna, the only child of Constantine Issigonis and Hulda Prokopp. He still worked to his consultancy agreement but did so almost exclusively from home, briefing and debriefing nominated BL engineers each morning. Beyond the Maxi, launched on 1969, Issigonis had left little visible influence on the new cars coming from British Leyland, and indeed, the company made definite moves that would have been unthinkable to him, such as the bold, deliberately contemporary styling of the Austin-Morris 18-22 (Princess range) or the Allegro, or the conservative engineering of the Morris Marina. He was a race car driver during the 30s and 40s. 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. Look what happened to Alan Turing. 130 King Street West, Exchange Tower, Suite 1800, Toronto, Canada, M5X 1E3. The last sighting was of a 71 America, in 81, and looking very well cared for. File nella categoria "Alec Issigonis" Questa categoria contiene 5 file, indicati di seguito, su un totale di 5. SOL 258H is the oldest surviving gearless car and was the preferred transport of Sir Alex Issigonis. It is arguably doubtful that Lord, knowing Issigonis better, would have seen him as the ideal candidate for the overall technical leadership of BMC. The Royal Navy Marines evacuated British Subjects, including the Issigonis family, from Smyrna before Turkey attacked. A GLIMPSE INTO THE LIFE OF THE MINI FOUNDER. Proslavil se zejmna nvrhem vozu Mini, kter uvedla na trh British Motor Corporation v . . Issigonis legacy. 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. The suspension was trailing arms at the front, attached to a steel cross-member, and a swing axle rear, all with rubber springs made of catapult elastic. Encouraged by the success of the Morris Minor, Issigonis continued his design work at Morris (including work on a replacement for the Minor with a transverse 4 cylinderengine with an endon gearbox) until the merger with the Austin in 1952 to form BMC. Brilliant cars! His father was a successful shipbuilding engineer, whose own father was from the Greek island, Paros. The challenge of designing the Mini was engineering a car that would seat four passengers and their luggage in a package not to exceed ten feet in length. Decades later, despite enormous further developments, the vehicle has lost none of its initial charm. His love/hate relationship with the companys products stayed with []. This undated sketch by Issigonis shows some of this. 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. In March 1957 Lord asked (more likely told, as Lord did not do asking) Issigonis to come up with something to compete with them. Therefore, when Alec's father, Constantine Issigonis, was born in Smyrna in 1872, he was also a British national. You serve us all wonderfully. 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. . Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis was born into the Greek city of Smyrna (now zmir) in the Ottoman Empire. 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. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. Alec Issigonis Popularity Most Popular Born in 1906 First Name Alec #31 #1 Entrepreneur Born in Turkey #2 Alec Issigonis Is A Member Of Born In 1906 Entrepreneurs First Name Alec Scorpios Iconic. Rover used the freewheel extensively, on cars and Land Rovers, into the 1960s. View 6 Images. That name was now engraved in my mind and as I got older I was drawn to LBCs (Little British Cars.) 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. The [], CARS AND DRIVERS by GEOFFREY CHARLES Whatever the outcome of the BMH-Leyland merger in model rationalization, intensified marketing or expansion-and any joint project will not appear for at least 3 [], MOTOR WHY IS THE ADO16? 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. 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. By the time the chassis had been completed, Issigonis had somehow got hold of an Austin supplied works specification supercharged side-valve engine as well. BMC was producing over 11,000 Issigonis-designed front-wheel-drive models a week, with demand still exceeding production, which was continually increased. Shunning all offers of silver service with the management. Enter the length or pattern for better results. This car was remarkably light, weighing less than 600lb. Alec Issigonis Related Authors Vivienne Westwood Quotes Virgil Abloh Quotes Coco Chanel Quotes Carroll Shelby Quotes Moulton also designed folding, rubber suspended small-wheeled bicycles. Alec Issigonis's mother was German, and it was on her side of the family that he was a first cousin once removed to automobile engineer and executive manager Bernd Pischetsrieder. Production only finished after BMW had bailed out of Rover in 2000. Chrysler also took a licence to manufacture the device, which was an integral part of their pioneering overdrive in 1934. This greatly modified machine was replaced with a radical special completed in 1939, constructed of plywood laminated in aluminium sheeting. 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. Thank you very much for a wonderful biography. It was, though, used on the postwar MG Y Type saloons. Ive often wondered how its 35 horses managed the Berkshires . On 15 October 2006 a rally was held at the Heritage Motor Centre in Gaydon, England, to celebrate the centenary of Issigonis's birth. An amazing man, and someone who would probably never rise to prominence in todays auto industry. Alec Issigonis was a hugely . Aos 16 mudou-se para Inglaterra onde iria cursar engenharia. Was it to be front or rear engined? Apparently Walter Chrysler could also be difficult to work with. If only it had had more power and better gearing. 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. [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. with 8 letters was last seen on the March 01, 2023.We found 20 possible solutions for this clue. In 1942, the first scale model was produced and the following year work began on a hand-formed steel prototype. I saw this tiny car among the Buicks Oldsmobiles Mercurys and Chevrolet Impalas that were the usual fare. It amounted to no more than surface rust on the chassis. 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. He was knighted in 1969 and was honored by the city of Oxford with a street named after him, Alec Issigonis Way. Fascinating piece and what a character! He often had to be discreetly talked through financial documents when he was in the board meetings. I saw that same car several times, so, at least in nice weather, it apparently was a daily driver. It had one option an AM radio, hung below the dash. At Alvis, Issigoniss main task was to lead the development of a more affordable, higher volume luxury car. 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. His mother was Bavarian, the daughter of a brewer. He was born in 1906 in a city that is now known as Izmir, in Turkey which itself can trace its . William Morris (Lord Nuffield) didnt like it, naming it the poached egg and expressed no appreciation of it to Issigonis, until 1951 when 100,000 cars had been built. Issigonis made a grandfather clock from it, which kept good time. In the face of all this mayhem, Mrs. Issigonis decided to migrate with Alex to Britain, a land neither knew. He remained on the BL books as a consultant until 1988, shortly before his death. Not sure how true it is, but I read somewhere that he even designed the ashtrays for the Minor. But, as ever, events intervened in this case the Suez Crisis of 1956, complete with petrol rationing. The Crossword Solver finds answers to classic crosswords and cryptic crossword puzzles. He was involved in engine design as well, requesting unsuccessfully that BL build 4 and 6 cylinder engines for Mini variants. Did they aim to build in greater volume, to compete with emerging brands such as Jaguar, or did they retreat further upmarket or even entirely into other activities? The Axis Powers? Despite its stated mission being to provide basic transport, this level of driving enjoyment, and capability, was like a non stop Christmas present. 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. Another Mini!). Sir Alec Issigonis was one of the automotive industrys great independent thinkers. It was 1961 when the humble little people-mover fell into the hands of British racing legend John Cooper. I appreciate the research the depth and the smooth writing style to present it all in a gripping way. If only it had had more power and better gearing. It really showed up typical RWD cars of the time as being great space-wasters. Issigonis was to use Moultons suspension ideas on all his future cars, with Moulton working in a consultancy capacity to BMC. He and Frank Stephenson are both famous car designers. For his accomplishments, Queen Elizabeth knighted Issigonis in 1969. 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. 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. The Mini was launched in 1959, and became instantly popular. In a front-wheel-drive car, with more understeer and/or a bit more resistance at the wheel, this effect might be enhanced ? This isnt 1942. 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. Comprehensive article. 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. A family that . He said the engine was turning 4500 rpm at 68 mph and commented, This seems fast enough for an obsolete three-bearing long-stroke engine., Digging up the articles is left as an exercise for the student. as an American familiar only with U.S. cars. The loss of British sovereignty led not only to a political defeat but also to an oil crisis. is military terminology referring to "Government Issue" or "General Issue". This prototype was never manufactured because its cost was beyond Alvis's resources. I fist saw a Mini on my way to middle school in 1965. It did not have everything Issigonis wanted, as he originally planned this car to have a V4 engine rather than the BMC A series. 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. 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. Nkter data mohou pochzet z datov poloky. A truly fascinating man he was. But fearful that his freedom would be curbed in such a large company, Issigonis resigned from BMC and went to work for the much smaller Alvis company. 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 . Oak placed another engineer, Jack Daniels, alongside him to keep his feet on the ground. All Rights Reserved. BMC and Issigonis were awarded the Dewar Trophy by the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) for the innovative design and production of the Mini. Issigonis was born in Smyrna in 1906. 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. 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? 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. From then onwards, any car in the small or medium market without a transverse engine was considered unusual, and conservative. THE CREATOR OF AN ICONIC CAR: ALEC ISSIGONIS. Therefore some functionality is missing. And his father, a Greek by origin and British by nationality, had inherited a marine engine construction company, an activity that fascinated little Alec. Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis was born into the Greek community of Smyrnain Ottoman Turkey. In 1928 his first job was in the design office of Gillett, an engineering firm in London. Shortly after in 1962, when gender roles were thought to be defined, one woman chose a life of speed. Having failed his mathematics exams three times, subsequently declaring it 'the most uncreative subject you can study',[3] Issigonis decided to enter the University of London External Programme to complete his university education. Issigonis's own automotive career as a designer and engineer in England first took shape during the early 1930s when he began working for the vehicle manufacturer . Copyright 2011 - 2023 Curbside Classics. The gearbox in sump was a dead end in terms of automotive design. Thanks for a wonderfully researched article! Sir Alec Issigonis was one of the automotive industry's great independent thinkers. Day terminated the consultancy agreement, without any more consultation. ), British automobile designer who created the best-selling, economical Mini and the perennially popular Morris Minor. It has since proved to be the template for the small car for nearly 60 years it has still not been bettered and was followed as early as 1963 by the Autobianchi Primula, which had the first end on gearbox on its transverse engine, by the 1965 Peugeot 204 with a configuration closer to the ADO16 but larger, and 1967 by the Simca 1100, the first to combine an end on gearbox and a hatchback. After returning to England in 1922, he enrolled in engineering school, failing mathematics at every turn. I have liked them ever since. Alec Issigonis Way Oxford Business Park Oxford OX4 2HN United Kingdom Telephone: +44 (0) 1865 783 000 Oxford Biomedica Solutions 1 Patriots Park Bedford MA 01730 United States Telephone: +1 781 428 4536 Email :solutions.partnering@oxb.com Oxford Biomedica (Ireland) Ltd Office 502 Balheary Demense Balheary Road Swords Co. Dublin Ireland As a matter of interest, go to this site: and click on the Letter From Dr. Alex Moulton link. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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. 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. Issigonis did observe and try to improve on what he saw, but always challenged himself to be original and better. (I can remember seeing Austin Americas just a few years old being offered up for $50.) Noch ein Mini! This car basically took the Mini concept and enlarged it by 20%, adding some experience, and ambition, at the same time. How about an uncomfortable driver is a distracted driver? Hulda Issigonis then returned to Malta, leaving sixteen year old Alec alone in London, returning only after Constantine had died. Back the early 2,000 B.C. FamousBirthdays.com - use subject to the practices disclosed in our privacy policy. His stubbornness, I would say, had more in common with Ford starting production of the T, when everyone was telling him to make expensive cars because they were more profitable. 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. 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. Meanwhile from 1930, he raced a supercharged Ulster Austin Seven, and fitted it with an independent front suspension of his own design. Constantine married a German lady whose name was Hulda Prokopp and in 1906 they had a baby who they named Alexander Arnold Issigonis, or Alec to his family. Dear Mr Day I have not met you but I feel I must write to explain a few points. He was born on November 18, 1906 and his birthplace is Turkey. The Mini quickly became cult and had enthusiastic fans worldwide. He would instead research work on his Mini replacement the 9X with its compact transverse engine. His father, a successful and wealthy shipbuilding engineer, was of Greek origin but held a British passport.

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