Engine access on the Mini was very awkward, and this was only improved on the ADO16 because Jack Daniels was able to keep Issigonis away from the detail work, which was largely done at Cowley in Oxford rather than Longbridge. There is a truck factory in the city of Izmir, on the western Mediterranean coast of Turkey, builtby the British Motor Corporation (BMC) in 1967, and which still builds vehiclesunder the BMC brand. Alternate titles: Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis. 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. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Chinese Zodiac: Alec Issigonis was born in the Year of the Rabbit. 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. . Sounds like his stubbornness had a lot in common with Henry Ford and his reluctance to move on from the Model T. Imagine trying to take him seriously when he declared an uncomfortable driver is an alert driver. The Minor was, of course, a huge success, for Nuffield and for Issigonis. Found an ad for the US market 1100. Are you sure Renault had transverse-engine hatchbacks by 1974? 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. Hulda Issigonis then returned to Malta, leaving sixteen year old Alec alone in London, returning only after Constantine had died. At the end of 1955, Issigonis moved to BMC to head up the development of the corporations new family of cars. The greatest overall compatibility with Scorpio is Taurus and Cancer. 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. It was at Alvis that Issigonis first worked with another of the influential characters of his career. Dr.Ing. 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 . It interested me as I had the honour of working with sir Alec for around 3 months. He was a race car driver during the 30's and 40's. Sir Alec Issigonis. Issigonis was born on 18 November 1906 in the Ottoman port city of Smyrna, the only child of Constantine Issigonis and Hulda Prokopp. FamousBirthdays.com - use subject to the practices disclosed in our privacy policy. Im sure this was never part of Issigoniss plan, as he was anti-style, but only the 1100 benefited from external help. Issigonis would work on the 9X programme, which included a replacement Mini and a new and innovative gearless transmission system. [citation needed], Issigonis was nicknamed "the Greek god" by his contemporaries. This undated sketch by Issigonis shows some of this. 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. The typical American indifference to regular maintenance did not play well with this setup. 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 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. My doodles and sketches are not the work of an academic engineer. Issigonis also insisted that no less than 80% of the cars volume be dedicated to passengers and luggage. 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. Stooping just under six feet in height, he looms large at any [], By GEOFFREY CHARLES, Motoring Correspondent A high-level reshuffle of BMC directors areas of responsibility was announced yesterday as part of a streamlining process before completion of the BMH-Leyland merger. 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. Issigonis's mother, Hulda Prokopp, was descended from a Bavarian brewing family who had settled in Smyrna, and established a brewery. Alec Issigonis was already known for his popular and respected Morris Minor. 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). 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. His mother was from Bavaria. It was 1961 when the humble little people-mover fell into the hands of British racing legend John Cooper. I saw about 3 Americas in the wild that I can remember, and 1 example of the earlier MG 1100 Sport Sedan. . Etsy Search for items or shops Close search Skip to Content Sign in 0 Cart Cyber Sales Event Jewelry & Accessories Clothing & Shoes Required fields are marked *. Tragically, Constantine Issigonis contracted a serious illness, and died in Malta in June 1923. On the right is Alec Issigonis and standing next to him is John Cooper. [], In Part One of this fascinating series, which originally appeared in Vehicle Engineer,AROnline Contributor IanElliott applies his insider knowledge to spelling out the exact sequence of mergers that led to [], Photography: Martin Bell One of the design team who worked on the original Mini has revealed how the revolutionary small car came about. Issigonis' creation was remarkable, but it really only became a Mini when he got a little help from his friend, motorsport pioneer John Cooper. This was the man who persisted in pursuing a gearless car using only a torque converter, who rubbished CAD in favour of slide rules, who did most of his designs in rough and passed them to his acolytes to make real. Alec's mother, Hulda Prokopp, could trace her origins back to Wrttemberg (now part of Germany). Generation also known as The Greatest Generation. 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. Issigonis designed a unitary construction saloon and the V8 engine, and utilised Moultons latest interconnected rubber suspension. Even more significantly, it effectively defined the configuration of the small and medium car for the next 50 years. 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. Alecs education details are not available at this time. 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. This was partly because of the cost but also because in 1953 Ford bought Briggs UK operations and 1954 BMC bought Fisher & Ludlow. Enter the length or pattern for better results. He immigrated to Britain in 1922, studied engineering and in 1948 masterminded the Morris Minor, the first British car to sell more than a million. Issigonis usually won, even when entered in the 1100cc class if there was no 750cc category. There was no radio fitted as he thought it would distract the driver. Alviss options for body shell production were being reduced, at the same as the estimated costs of the body manufacture doubled. Moulton also designed folding, rubber suspended small-wheeled bicycles. I was amazed at the amount of space in that car you could even hide things in the cubbyhole under the rear seat. Apparently Walter Chrysler could also be difficult to work with. 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. [], 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. On a cheerier note, Id love to see that Alvin on the flesh. The big steering wheels angle was a bit bus-like though. 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. No wonder Issigonis felt flattered I feel very, very proud that so many people have copied me.. Issigonis and Dowson then travelled into Austria to the mountain climb competition at the then new Grossglockner Hochalpen Pass. Bernd Peter Pischetsrieder. Issigonis had also been involved in the larger Oxford, Isis and Wolseley ranges. 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. This post and its visuals and videos explains this pivotal vector of the international industry with such clarity and depth. In 1942, the first scale model was produced and the following year work began on a hand-formed steel prototype. [5]:277. Alec Issigonis was a Scorpio and was born in the G.I. Maybe it takes that sort of single-mindedness, bordering on obsession, to create something different, get it into production in spite of obstacles and naysayers, and make it a success. The MG 1100 Sport Sedan a perfect choice when a two-seater MG is too small. That's exactly what he did. This would have been in the early 70s when they were literally everywhere. Prior to his death, Alec and his mother travelled overland to London. Day terminated the consultancy agreement, without any more consultation. To get to this point wasnt easy. Here in Australia they didnt seem particularly small, but they were certainly a lot more roomy than the competition. His name? Daniels (right) and Sheppard (left), no doubt, had to smooth a few ruffled feathers on the way. Striving to ensure that as much space as possible was allocated to the passengers, Issigonis used Moultons compact rubber suspension and had Dunlop build 10 inch wheels and tyres just for the Mini purely for reasons of space efficiency.