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. The childhood . His love/hate relationship with the companys products stayed with []. View 6 Images. 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. . During this time he started to build a special sprint racer with a friend. [citation needed] Issigonis often commented to friends and colleagues that the Austin 1800 (ADO17) was the design he was most proud of, even though it never was as commercially successful as his three preceding designs. Alec Issigonis was a Scorpio and was born in the G.I. Issigonis showed little interest in things mechanical until he was well into his teens, not riding in a car until he was 14 years old, and was seemingly more interested in art, under the strong influence of his mother. 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. 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. Having been a passenger in an early Austin Landcrab on several occasions I can confirm they are amazingly spacious inside, front and rear. Noch ein Mini! Due to time pressures, the interconnected suspension system that Issigonis had planned for the car was replaced by an equally novel, but cruder, rubber cone system designed by Alex Moulton. It was through his mother's kinships that Issigonis was a first cousin once removed to BMW and Volkswagen director Bernd Pischetsrieder.[5]. Richard Bremneris well-known for being a highly-respected motoring scribe, but in his formative years, he worked in the employ of Austin-Rover. Nearly $1900 was pretty stiff pricing for a car that size in the mid 60s, $150 more than a Bug. Address 8050 Alec Issigonis Way, Oxford Business Park North, Oxford, OX4 2HW. Learn how your comment data is processed. The Mini went on to become the best selling British car in history with a production run of 5.3million cars. Alec Issigonis, technical director of the British Motor Corporation and Charles Griffin, chief engineer, answer questions from our technical editor. Issigonis had the dream of becoming an automobile engineer at an early age. *27/02/01 The new Mini which will go on sale in the UK summer 2001, was , being unveiled for the first time. Thank you very much for a wonderful biography. But his true interest was in the 9X and its power unit, and getting a version of it accepted by BL. Here in Australia they didnt seem particularly small, but they were certainly a lot more roomy than the competition. 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. 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. 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. The Axis Powers? Joseph Lowrey, [], The Mini hit its big landmark in 1969, a seismic year in the history of BMC>Rover. [4] . But at the age of 50, he began designing one of the most iconic vehicles ever produced: the classic Mini. In later years, the car would become known simply as the Mini. RM G4TJWM - Alec Issigonis, creator of the British Motor Corporation 'Mini' car range, drives the 1,000,000th Mini off the production line at the Austin Plant at Longbridge, Birmingham. A reliable car with excellent steering and cornering qualities, it was the first all-British car to pass the one million mark in sales; surviving models are still cherished by owners and collectors. Well, he went down in history as the father of the Mini and was even raised to nobility for his services. Born in Turkey, Issigonis come to England as a teenager. Sir Alec Issigonis hadn't even seen a car until he was 12 years old. His father Constantine Issigonis was a successful shipbuilding engineer, whose own father was from Paros. Oxbotica Toronto Office. In 1952, the year BMC was formed, he moved to Alvis where he designed an advanced saloon, and experimented with interconnected independent suspension systems. Issigonis studied engineering at Battersea Polytechnic in London. 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. XC/9002 became ADO16 and was launched as the Morris 1100 with the Hydrolastic interconnected suspension system in August 1962. Issigonis did observe and try to improve on what he saw, but always challenged himself to be original and better. John Daly, Your email address will not be published. [13], He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1967. Issigonis was a remarkable engineer and obviously made his mark. The initials "G.I." [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). 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. However, as we all know, it was no profit-maker for BMC and, during its hyper-successful first decade on the market, its maker cruelly and criminally failed to develop the concept into something that the customers truly wanted a hatchback. I was mesmerized and I saw my schoolmate being dropped off by his older brother who was on his way to high school. Back the early 2,000 B.C. He and Frank Stephenson are both famous car designers. He despised such luxuries as radios and comfortable seats, once stating I would like people to sit on nails to be extremely uncomfortable all the time. and declaring that an uncomfortable driver is an alert driver. Moulton also designed folding, rubber suspended small-wheeled bicycles. He was a complex man, with a complex background, family story and career. 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. in there was a 1 hr "The Mini Man " -Sir Alec Issigonis 1906 - 1988 by great friend and car fanatic Peter Ustinov. The war years were spent. Alec Issigonis. In 1942, the first scale model was produced and the following year work began on a hand-formed steel prototype. He was a race car driver during the 30's and 40's. An amazing man, and someone who would probably never rise to prominence in todays auto industry. The family is almost penniless. (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 Issigonis was born in Turkey. Ive often wondered how its 35 horses managed the Berkshires . On the right is Alec Issigonis and standing next to him is John Cooper. Austin 1800 (ADO18 Landcrab): Best In Class Or Just Plain Ugly? This post and its visuals and videos explains this pivotal vector of the international industry with such clarity and depth. 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, for a small town car. 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. In 1969, in recognition of his engineering genius, Queen Elizabeth granted him Knighthood. Another thing Sir Alec did not think was important perhaps? 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. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The Landcrab and Maxi were so butt ugly that no self respecting petrolhead would be seen it one. Its entirely believable that Issigonis would have been prosecuted if hed had gay sex. At the peak if his career he was by far the most well-known personality in the British motor industry, one of the most well-known names in the European motor industry, and was the first and perhaps the only car British designer who could claim celebrity status. 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. Issigonis (standing) with the special at Shelsey Walsh hillclimb. Sir Alec Issigonis. Alec Issigonis (Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis) was born in Smyrna in the Ottoman Empire (now Izmir, Turkey). Alec Issigonis Related Authors Vivienne Westwood Quotes Virgil Abloh Quotes Coco Chanel Quotes Carroll Shelby Quotes But, as ever, events intervened in this case the Suez Crisis of 1956, complete with petrol rationing. The Mini, and the other Issigonis BMC front wheel drive cars, benefited from Issigonis continuing collaboration with Alex Moulton and his suspension system developments. Sir Alec Issigonis started his career at Humber, known for their Humber Snipe and Humber Hawk models, even Queen Elizabeth II owned a Humber. His father died in 1922, at which point he and his mother moved to the U.K.. That Alvis is one of those missed opportunities that ultimately doomed the company. In 1934 Issigonis was invited to join the drawing office at Humber Ltd in Coventry. All Rights Reserved. Issigonis customer in this case was Maurice Wilks, later the man behind the Land Rover. Generation also known as The Greatest Generation. Unfortunately I didnt turn out quite as brilliant, but I like to think I missed out some of the stubbornness/arrogance as well. Sir Alec Issigonis was one of the automotive industry's great independent thinkers. 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. By 1945, a full scale static prototype close to the familiar production form was completed. Sir Alec Issigonis. Style wise, the car has been identified as having a visual similarity to Lancia Aureliathe 1950-58 Lancia Aurelia saloon, with some Morris Oxford overtones and a traditional Alvis style grille added. Once more details are available, we will update this section. On October 2, 1988, he passed . The MG 1100 Sport Sedan a perfect choice when a two-seater MG is too small. Oak placed another engineer, Jack Daniels, alongside him to keep his feet on the ground. A British citizen born in Turkey in 1906, Issigonis did not see an automobile until he was 12 years old. When I was in grade school in the mid-70s, the next door neighbor of my best friend had 6 Minis. Issigonis with XC/9001, the car that became the Landcrab. He did not want more conventional answers, without at least exploring some technical advances. If you see something that doesnt look right, contact us. The war prevented this design from going into production but it was later used on the MG Y-type. Comprehensive article. Apparently Walter Chrysler could also be difficult to work with. It did not have everything Issigonis wanted, as he originally planned this car to have a V4 engine rather than the BMC A series. I had a book about Issigonis, but its lost. He pressed the case, again, for the gearless 9X, complained about electronics in cars, designers using CAD systems and not slide rules, and changes in the model designations of the existing Mini. Look what happened to Alan Turing. At the opening of the factory BMC was represented by Sir Alec Issigonis. Twitter; 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. You probably know the part about Alec Issigonis being born in the Greek city of Smyrna in 1906, being evacuated to Malta in 1922 following the Turkish invasion, and how he moved to London in 1923 to study engineering. He convinced Issigonis to ready the Mini for the Rallye Monte Carlo. Hulda Issigonis then returned to Malta, leaving sixteen year old Alec alone in London, returning only after Constantine had died. Was it to be water or air cooled? The Mini was launched in 1959, and became instantly popular. This led to a job at Austin, but in 1936, he moved to Morris at Cowley, where he worked on the Morris 10. As a matter of interest, go to this site: and click on the Letter From Dr. Alex Moulton link. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. 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. 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. 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. Issigonis made a grandfather clock from it, which kept good time. 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. BMC was producing over 11,000 Issigonis-designed front-wheel-drive models a week, with demand still exceeding production, which was continually increased. The son of a Greek merchant, Issigonis immigrated to London in 1922 during the war between Greece and Turkey. He [], DAILY EXPRESS By David Benson Harry Webster is a quiet, unassuming, generous man of 54. I wonder if he was to blame for the Mini never having a hatchback, or a more softly suspended version? Issigonis legacy. Subsequently my main triumph of design is a carbon block conveyor that fit into an oddly shaped spot while using less pieces of steel than its predecessor. 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. He was a race car driver during the 30s and 40s. 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. In March 1957 Lord asked (more likely told, as Lord did not do asking) Issigonis to come up with something to compete with them. Family Life His father died in 1922, at which point he and his mother moved to the U.K.. Associated With He and Frank Stephenson are both famous car designers. 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. His father, a successful and wealthy shipbuilding engineer, was of Greek origin but held a British passport. 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. The all-new Mini will be revealed today, on what would have been Mini creator Sir Alec Issigonis's 107th birthday. In many ways, this car was a clear, but simpler, derivative of the work Issigonis had been doing at Alvis, and Issigonis recruited some former colleagues from Alvis to BMC to develop V6 and V4 engines for the projected BMC cars, possibly using the aborted work at Alvis as a basis. George Harriman, Leonard Lord and Alec Issogonis. As such he was of the generation who experienced the privations of two apocalyptic world wars. Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis ( 18. listopadu 1906 Smyrna - 2. jna 1988 Birmingham) byl ecko - britsk automobilov konstruktr narozen na zem dnenho Turecka. 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. 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. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. 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). We now call them Real Minis, to distinguish them from the post 2001 imitations. 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.