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Alec Issigonis was born on the 18th of November, 1906. Day terminated the consultancy agreement, without any more consultation. If only it had had more power and better gearing. . Perhaps it was a trait that ran in the family. Alec Issigonis - Etsy Check out our alec issigonis selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops. It was through his mother's kinships that Issigonis was a first cousin once removed to BMW and Volkswagen director Bernd Pischetsrieder.[5]. After these cars, and the formation of British Leyland in 1968, Issigonis was sidelined by a new influx of engineers led by Triumphs Harry Webster. He was popular for being a Entrepreneur. 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 Mini quickly became cult and had enthusiastic fans worldwide. 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. Issigonis was knighted in 1968, 1955 Morris Minor: Britains Favorite Car Bar None, And Rightly So, Austin Seven (Mini): The Future Started Here. Alec Issigonis is a famous Entrepreneur. 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. My appreciation of Issigonis designs really came when Auntie Merle traded her Austin A30 (horrible car) for a Morris 1100. 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. A British citizen born in Turkey in 1906, Issigonis did not see an automobile until he was 12 years old. However, there was more to his life than just one car. He continued to be responsible for his original XC projects. Fascinating piece and what a character! 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. Nearly $1900 was pretty stiff pricing for a car that size in the mid 60s, $150 more than a Bug. His love/hate relationship with the companys products stayed with []. 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. He [], DAILY EXPRESS By David Benson Harry Webster is a quiet, unassuming, generous man of 54. . Required fields are marked *. I hope he knew that he changed the Automobile World for the better. [13], He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1967. They kept it several years until they decided they needed their 1st air-conditioned car a 66 LeMans. Austin 1800 (ADO18 Landcrab): Best In Class Or Just Plain Ugly? 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. Issigonis planned two versions, known as the TA/350 with a 3.5 litre V8 and TA/175 with a 1750cc, V4 engine. 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. On his side, Issigonis built a large model railway in the double garage that ran out through the walls and around the garden. 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. Like many famous people and celebrities, Alec Issigonis kept his personal life private. . The change was not handled well though, with credible accounts of a literally tearful Issigonis wandering around Longbridge trying to find a new office after returning from abroad to find Webster occupying his office. All Rights Reserved. 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. He remained on the BL books as a consultant until 1988, shortly before his death. By 1939, Issigonis had replaced his modified Austin Seven with a more radical car of his own design, constructed of plywood laminated in aluminium sheeting, in what we would now call a composite construction. Look what happened to Alan Turing. There he developed the Morris Minor, which remained in production from 1948 to 1971. . Humber were more interested in the sales engineer than his product, and Issigonis moved to Humber in 1933. 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! After returning to England in 1922, he enrolled in engineering school, failing mathematics at every turn. BMC had internally identified the need to move on from the concepts behind the Minor and A30, leaving behind the classic front engine, semi-elliptic spring concept but there was little clarity on which direction was perceived to be the way to go. He was impossible to work with, had Henry Fords arrogance and nearly bankrupted the company like Ford, by refusing to listen to anyone. . Ford clinging to the T too long was the same sort of corporate inertia that had VW clinging to the Bug too long. We will continue to update information on Alec Issigoniss parents. 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. Sixty years ago today . Issigonis worked as a draughtsman and design engineer, and also in a sales and project engineer role, succeeding in securing Rover as a customer use the freewheel device on the new for 1933 Rover Ten (P1 series, above). Then of course there was severe corrosion in the face of road salt. Austin Healey Sprites , 3000s Austin Americas, MG Midget, MGAs MGBs Mg 1100s I had many of each model. Heynes later became Technical Director at Jaguar and was a personal friend of Issigonis for many years. This prototype never saw the light of day mores the pity. View 6 Images. On the surface it didnt appear very desirable to Me, or to prospective new-car buyers. Chinese Zodiac: Alec Issigonis was born in the Year of the Rabbit. 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. Born in Turkey, Issigonis come to England as a teenager. I had a book about Issigonis, but its lost. On 15 October 2006 a rally was held at the Heritage Motor Centre in Gaydon, England, to celebrate the centenary of Issigonis's birth. Click the answer to find similar crossword clues . Are you sure Renault had transverse-engine hatchbacks by 1974? When Morris and Austin merged to form the British Motor Corporation in 1952, Issigonis decided to leave the company. Diz lenda que ele considerava a rigidez . 104 Alec Issigonis Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Images Images Creative Editorial Video Creative Editorial FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO 104 Alec Issigonis Premium High Res Photos Browse 104 alec issigonis stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. 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. 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. The first application of Sir Alec Issigonis' engineering breakthrough - All Photos by Randy Stern, except otherwise noted Remember Sir Alec Issigonis? Thank you very much for a wonderful biography. ), British automobile designer who created the best-selling, economical Mini and the perennially popular Morris Minor. 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. Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis, CBE, FRS (18 November 1906-2 October 1988) was a Greek-British designer of cars, now remembered chiefly for the groundbreaking and influential development of the Mini, launched by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) in 1959. Sir Alec Issigonis, in full Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis, (born Nov. 18, 1906, Smyrna [now zmir], Tur.died Oct. 2, 1988, Birmingham, Eng. A more powerful engine, bigger brakes and a few tuning tweaks later, the Classic Mini Cooper 997 was introduced. Alec Issigonis The public don't know what they want; it's my job to tell them. Towards the end of WW2, he began work on the Mosquito project, which ended up being launched in 1948 as the Morris Minor. What a great, nicely balanced piece about the ever-controversial Sir Alec, and his equally controversial designs. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. He designed the Mini, launched by the British Motor Corporation in 1959, and voted the second most influential car of the 20th century in 1999. 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. The strengths of this sign are being resourceful, brave, passionate, a true friend, while weaknesses can be distrusting, jealous, secretive and violent. Enter your username or email to reset your password. Issigonis spent his early years as an engineer with Morris Motors working on steering and suspension. Its practicality and affordability made it immediately popular; by the time of Issigonis death more than five million had been sold. On the right is Alec Issigonis and standing next to him is John Cooper. BMC and Issigonis were awarded the Dewar Trophy by the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) for the innovative design and production of the Mini. His retirement gift from the company was the largest available Meccano set, complete with a steam engine. The above photo is a publicity shot with the first produced Mini, at his retirement in 1972. 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. Issigonis (standing) with the special at Shelsey Walsh hillclimb. 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. Red: Yeah, its mine. Alec Issigonis: straight from a family thrilled by technology. Sir Alec Issigonis. 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 Issigonis continued to work as Engineering Director at the Austin-Morris Division of BMC, and as Technical Director of BMC in 1965. Rover used the freewheel extensively, on cars and Land Rovers, into the 1960s. From 1925-1928 he studied engineering at Battersea Polytechnic in London. I saw that same car several times, so, at least in nice weather, it apparently was a daily driver. AROnline Keith Adams 2001-2022 - please refer to the 'Terms of use' pages. Issigonis' first cousin once removed was Bernd Pischetsreider, responsible . 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. It was created in response to a crisis and was a genius piece of packaging which will forever be Sir Alec Issigonis legacy to the automotive world. 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. The Crossword Solver finds answers to classic crosswords and cryptic crossword puzzles. 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. Happy birthday to the Mini! His mother was from Bavaria. While the intention was for the space efficient FWD cars to replace much of the existing overlapping BMC range (that all should have been hatchbacks in retrospect), it would have been interesting to see a rear-wheel drive Cortina rival with fully-independent suspension derived from Issigoniss work at Alvis to slot between the 1100/1300 and 1800/2200. Designer Alec Issigonis was born in the southern Anatolian city of Smyrna in 1906. A very enjoyable read on a man whose name I knew in conjunction with so many brilliant designs, but who I previously knew little about. 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. Issigonis became a fellow of the Royal Society in 1967 and was knighted in 1969. And Alec Issigonis? It had one option an AM radio, hung below the dash. Sir Alec was a combination of everything that was right AND wrong about the British car industry in his day. Kereta rekaannya, BMC Mini dilancarkan dalam tahun 1959. [9] He was cremated at the Lodge Hill Cemetery in nearby Selly Oak. I caught up to my mate and I said thats a really cool car, what is it? Thats my BrothersMini Cooper. The rest is racing . [12], In 1964 Issigonis was appointed a Royal Designer for Industry (RDI). But accounts do suggest it done in a pretty crass way. Noch ein Mini (A Mini! Alec is also well known as, British car designer best remembered for his work on the development of the iconic Mini. Get In Touch Call or Email. Found an ad for the US market 1100. 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. There was a good reason for BMC selecting him for this task, for Issigonis was born in Izmir. Aos 16 mudou-se para Inglaterra onde iria cursar engenharia. At the opening of the factory BMC was represented by Sir Alec Issigonis. Youre right about maintenance. 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. He was knighted in 1969 and was honored by the city of Oxford with a street named after him, Alec Issigonis Way. This prototype was never manufactured because its cost was beyond Alvis's resources. Another Mini!). The floor is flat and low to the ground and windows all round make it seem very airy. Please check back soon for updates. He would attend the usual motor shows, but often would refuse to look in detail at the competition, so he did not become confused. He lived and worked in England " A camel is a horse designed by a committee " " Pure Math is the enemy of every truly creative man" Sir Alec's grandfather Demosthenes was sort of a mechanical genius having . His name? I saw about 3 Americas in the wild that I can remember, and 1 example of the earlier MG 1100 Sport Sedan. Issigonis was born in Smyrna in 1906. Enter a Crossword Clue Sort by Length Vic Oak and Reginald Hanks, Morriss Managing Director did though, arranging a 50% salary increase for Issigonis in April 1948, to 1500 per year. A deeply flawed genius at best. The MG 1100 Sport Sedan a perfect choice when a two-seater MG is too small. 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. File nella categoria "Alec Issigonis" Questa categoria contiene 5 file, indicati di seguito, su un totale di 5. All I know is, which car I would rather be in driving if there was any tricky situation [], DAILY MIRROR By Richard Sear No man looks less designed to start off the cult of the miniature. Alec Issigonis nasceu na Turquia Filho de um grego naturalizado britnico casado com uma turca. He also had plans for a flat four cylinder engine, and at frequentlychallenged convention and Morris Motors conservatism. It was also a specialist low volume producer of expensive, exclusive sports saloons cars not now associated with Issigonis and was at the same crossroads that so many smaller, upscale producers had been. 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. That's exactly what he did. The concept of the transverse engine and gearbox combined with FWD, which had previously been used only with two-cylinder two-stroke engines by DKW (since the 1920s), Lloyd and Saab, was adapted by Issigonis for the four cylinder A-block engine for the Mini. Sticks in my mind I read a road test that put engine speed at 60 around 4,000rpm. The Landcrab and Maxi were so butt ugly that no self respecting petrolhead would be seen it one. FamousBirthdays.com - use subject to the practices disclosed in our privacy policy. Discover what happened on this day. 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. I have labelled it the Most Significant Car of the 1940s; it is probably the most recognised British car, apart from the Mini, and the most fondly remembered car by many British families and motorists. Alec Issigonis. 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. This led to a job at Austin, but in 1936, he moved to Morris at Cowley, where he worked on the Morris 10. Another thing Sir Alec did not think was important perhaps? Not sure how true it is, but I read somewhere that he even designed the ashtrays for the Minor. 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. Moulton also designed folding, rubber suspended small-wheeled bicycles.