Issigonis - Hero or Villain? | ViaRETRO Like many famous people and celebrities, Alec Issigonis kept his personal life private. He [], DAILY EXPRESS By David Benson Harry Webster is a quiet, unassuming, generous man of 54. He took advantage of other peoples suspension designs, Moultons rubber cones and the isolastic, as they freed up more space. Alec is also well known as, British car designer best remembered for his work on the development of the iconic Mini. The son of a Greek merchant, Issigonis immigrated to London in 1922 during the war between Greece and Turkey. German Engineer Who Designed And Built The First Practical Automobile (Crossword ClueThe crossword clue German engineer who designed and built the first practical automobile. Sir Alec was a combination of everything that was right AND wrong about the British car industry in his day. Constantine was very proud of his British citizenship and Alec grew up in a traditional British type of household. The above photo is a publicity shot with the first produced Mini, at his retirement in 1972. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Alec Issigonis : The Man Who Made the Mini - books.google.com Great summary of a giant of industrial design. Innovative. The irony being, of all the cars built in the world that follow his layout, none carry an Austin or Morris badge. Upon meeting Alec, she is shy and ashamed . To get to this point wasnt easy. 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. BMC was producing over 11,000 Issigonis-designed front-wheel-drive models a week, with demand still exceeding production, which was continually increased. Sticks in my mind I read a road test that put engine speed at 60 around 4,000rpm. Issigonis had the dream of becoming an automobile engineer at an early age. His father died in 1922, at which point he and his mother moved to the U.K.. The mini leaked like a sieve because of the way hed designed the sills and had to be redesigned. 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 . Lords instruction was the one Issigonis had been waiting for, and he quickly developed the first Mini prototype. He was also responsible for the development of the Mini Moke, initially intended for military use, though it subsequently became another popular icon of British automotive engineering that, like the Mini, attained cult status. [], By Clifford Webb British Leyland are selling the Mini at a loss despite the latest price increase and the fact that after 14 years it is still their top export [], Lord Stokes writes to Sir Alec Issigonis on this day. And Alec Issigonis? He was retired from British Leyland in 1971, memorably being given a Meccano kit for his leaving present. 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. Shunning all offers of silver service with the management. Noch ein Mini! Alec's grandfather Demosthenis migrated to Smyrna from the Greek island of Paros in the 1830s. Road & Tracks test of the Austin America included the line, Superb four-speed fully automatic transmission makes more difference than youd believe possible. But they also noted that with just a few thousand miles on their test car, there was some issue (I forget what) with the trunk lock, and the outside of the engine was covered with oily black grime. Issigonis also insisted that no less than 80% of the cars volume be dedicated to passengers and luggage. He didnt say by 1974 in regard to VW and Renault. Austin 1800 (ADO18 Landcrab): Best In Class Or Just Plain Ugly? Ive never been inside a Landcrab or a Maxi, but I understand that while they are very spacious, the ergonomics are pretty poor. 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? I hardly ever drove a Mini or an 1100, but many miles of driving a Landcrab made me understand why it was so very good, in spite of some engineering shortcuts. By 1964, BMC had built over one million front wheel drive vehicles, including over 800,000 Minis and over 200,000 ADO16s, and over a third were exported. 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. 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. After returning to England in 1922, he enrolled in engineering school, failing mathematics at every turn. Issgonis preferred to work by sketching his ideas onto Arclight pads, each numbered in sequence and retained, and then having Daniels, looking after chassis elements, or another close confidant John Sheppard, looking after the body shell itself, work to turn these in physical reality. Issigonis usually won, even when entered in the 1100cc class if there was no 750cc category. Issgoniss retirement, with George Turnbull, then Managing Director of Austin-Morris. Humber were more interested in the sales engineer than his product, and Issigonis moved to Humber in 1933. Sir Alec Issigonis is best remembered for the Austin Mini - a car that revolutionised the small car package and probably saved the British Motor Corporation at the same time. Constantine studied in England. Sir Alec Issigonis. Getting a guy like Issigonis to design a V8 saloon and just chucking it in the bin. By 1938, Issigonis was lead engineer for steering and suspension for all the Morris car range. Twitter; The first front wheel drive car from BL after Issigoniss retirement was the Austin Allegro, still with the gearbox in the sump and without the obvious hatchback. 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. Issigonis was probably privately satisfied with that arrangement, as it took him away from the daily grind of corporate management and designing production ready cars and back into the more conceptual field where he had the opportunity to use his innovative skills the kind of role Leonard Lord had originally given him twelve years earlier and which led to the Mini and the ADO16. There he witnessed the awe inspiring (and Nazi funded) Auto Union and Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix cars, as well as the Alfa Romeo P3 of Nuvolari, which won the race, much to the Nazis discomfort. 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. Beatles' Minis: Cars belonging to McCartney, Harrison and Ringo are on 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 customer in this case was Maurice Wilks, later the man behind the Land Rover. In 1969, in recognition of his engineering genius, Queen Elizabeth granted him Knighthood. Alec's mother, Hulda Prokopp, could trace her origins back to Wrttemberg (now part of Germany). Alec Issigonis Facts for Kids - Kiddle Alec Issigonis Net Worth 2023, Age, Height, Relationships, Married, Dating, Family, Wiki Biography . In 1942, the first scale model was produced and the following year work began on a hand-formed steel prototype. 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. One thing that I learnt the hard way well not the hard way, the easy way when youre designing a new car for production, never, never copy the opposition, declared Issigonis, when asked to summarise his approach to car design. Most events he entered were sprints and hillclimbs, but he also competed in some circuit races. I love the comment made by Red Foreman on That 70s Show when asked about the Toyota Corolla he had recently purchased due to the gas crisis: Bob: Red, a Toyota? Even more significantly, it effectively defined the configuration of the small and medium car for the next 50 years. Arguably, Issigonis and BL were in danger of being left behind. Looking at the Minor or the Mini, I can believe that. Issigonis legacy - Education Alec Issigonis was born in 1900s. He was impossible to work with, had Henry Fords arrogance and nearly bankrupted the company like Ford, by refusing to listen to anyone. And the 1800 the rear seat really seemed limousine-like for the size of the car. 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. Austin Healey Sprites , 3000s Austin Americas, MG Midget, MGAs MGBs Mg 1100s I had many of each model. 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. A series engine, with gearbox beneath and side mounted radiator. Below are all possible answers to this clue ordered by its rank. This car was remarkably light, weighing 587lb, of which the engine contributed 252lb. Later, he was working on an independent suspension for the larger Humber Hawk, with another rising star in the industry, Bill Heynes. He excelled in mechanical drawing, but failed his mathematics exams three times. The Boudjah - Smyrna born Alec Issigonis was an engineering genius and even after his death there is a fan base for his cars. As you know I was away when the little ceremony took place to mark your retirement and I have, of [], Sir Alec Issigonis, designer of the Mini, among other cars, is to remain design consultant with British Leyland after he goes into semi-retirement at the end of the month.