alec issigonis family

Thanks for the great article. Constantine studied in England. I was amazed at the amount of space in that car you could even hide things in the cubbyhole under the rear seat. Fascinating lost papers from the man who created the Mini and the. He left Morris in 1952 for Alvis just as BMC was created from Austin and Morris (as well as Riley, Wolseley and MG).. If so, that would seem vindictive on Days part. His father, however, did not survive the crossing. That name was now engraved in my mind and as I got older I was drawn to LBCs (Little British Cars.) 18 November 1906 2 October 1988", Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society, " Alec Issigonis | Automotive Hall of Fame", Alec Issigonis Automotive Designer (19061988), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alec_Issigonis&oldid=1135124708, This page was last edited on 22 January 2023, at 19:54. Sixty years ago today . On the surface it didnt appear very desirable to Me, or to prospective new-car buyers. 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. John Daly, Your email address will not be published. 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. JUMP TO: Alec Issigoniss biography, facts, family, personal life, zodiac, videos and related celebs. 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? In 1956, the focus was shifted towards a new economy car and from here, the Mini was born in 1959. It was apparent to Morriss senior managers that Issigonis was cut from a different cloth compared to his contemporaries. Alec Issigonis It is much easier to drive without having an accident. 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. Unfortunately the ADO16 did not do well in the U.S. as the Austin America, which was imported here in an attempt to eat some of VWs lunch in the late 1960s. While much derided for its lack of style, I do love the huge smile he put on the front of the original 1800 Landcrab. He excelled in mechanical drawing, but failed his mathematics exams three times. 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. 130 King Street West, Exchange Tower, Suite 1800, Toronto, Canada, M5X 1E3. An amazing man, and someone who would probably never rise to prominence in todays auto industry. Alec Issigonis was a Greek-British automobile engineer and designer, best known for designing the Mini, a compact car that became a cultural icon in Britain and other countries. There was no radio fitted as he thought it would distract the driver. 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. Thanks for this terrific bio on one of the all-time greats in the field. Therefore, when Alec's father, Constantine Issigonis, was born in Smyrna in 1872, he was also a British national. He was knighted in 1969 and was honored by the city of Oxford with a street named after him, Alec Issigonis Way. This strong streak of fierce independence and lack of compromise hid his lateral approach to the design and engineering of cars. 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. 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 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. 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. They kept it several years until they decided they needed their 1st air-conditioned car a 66 LeMans. The Mini quickly became cult and had enthusiastic fans worldwide. 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. Issigonis had some success at club racing level and in 1935 travelled with his lifelong friend George Dowson to the German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring. . Born in Turkey, Issigonis come to England as a teenager. Contents Early life and education Career Legacy Honours Some of his cars Issigonis actually sketched the Minis original design with a pencil on a tablecloth. There was a good reason for BMC selecting him for this task, for Issigonis was born in Izmir. : Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis , CBE, FRS, RDI 19061118-1988102 . 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. 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. [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). Its practicality and affordability made it immediately popular; by the time of Issigonis death more than five million had been sold. Twitter; I think you can see a narrower car in one of the pre-production photos, above. 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. Suffice to say it was an ambitious project for a family of compact cars - the smaller of the pair shorter overall than . Production only finished after BMW had bailed out of Rover in 2000. 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. The original Minor design was so narrow they had to chop it lengthways and widen it. . As such he was of the generation who experienced the privations of two apocalyptic world wars. This prototype was never manufactured because its cost was beyond Alvis's resources. 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. Sir Alec was a combination of everything that was right AND wrong about the British car industry in his day. Sir Alec Issigonis was one of the automotive industry's great independent thinkers. 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. This led to a job at Austin, but in 1936, he moved to Morris at Cowley, where he worked on the Morris 10. He continued to be responsible for his original XC projects. [4] His maternal ancestors originated in the Kingdom of Wrttemberg. Designer Alec Issigonis was born in the southern Anatolian city of Smyrna in 1906. Roger, are you saying that Graham Day ended the consultancy and goodwill payments because he was offended by Issigoniss letter? 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. Copyright 2023. The Mini caused a sensation with its design and rather small size in the late 1950s thanks to its inventor, the Englishman Alec Issigonis. A truly great man and an honour for me. The last sighting was of a 71 America, in 81, and looking very well cared for. Issigonis legacy. He title at Alvis was Engineer in charge of passenger car design. 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. Humber was the upscale brand of the Rootes Group, but also the name of the main car building company in the Group. A British citizen born in Turkey in 1906, Issigonis did not see an automobile until he was 12 years old. It didnt just raise the bar it kicked it into next week ! His name? The car was launched at the 1948 London Motor Show, alongside the Land Rover and Jaguar XK120, and the rest is pure CC history. Most events he entered were sprints and hillclimbs, but he also competed in some circuit races. But, as ever, events intervened in this case the Suez Crisis of 1956, complete with petrol rationing. 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. The ways in which things went sour for BMC , and for Alec himself, are all too well known: but with this little car, they surely both earned a big place in history. German Engineer Who Designed And Built The First Practical Automobile (Crossword ClueThe crossword clue German engineer who designed and built the first practical automobile. When is Alec Issigoniss birthday? He and Frank Stephenson are both famous car designers. Where was the gearbox to be fitted on a front wheel drive car? 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. 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. * Commander of the British Empire (1964), Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (1967), Royal Designer for Industry (1964). Unique. Lords instruction was the one Issigonis had been waiting for, and he quickly developed the first Mini prototype. Oxbotica Toronto Office. 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. Day terminated the consultancy agreement, without any more consultation. As his father studied in London, being an engineer, the family were British subjects and were thus evacuated to Malta by the Royal Navy in September 1922, ahead of the Great Fire of Smyrna at the end of the . 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. Dear Mr Day I have not met you but I feel I must write to explain a few points. Issigonis usually won, even when entered in the 1100cc class if there was no 750cc category. Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis, CBE, FRS, RDI (Alec Issigonis) was born on 18 November 1906 in Smyrna in Greece (now Izmir, Turkey) and would become world-renowned for designing the Mini and Morris Minor for BMC. BMC was producing over 11,000 Issigonis-designed front-wheel-drive models a week, with demand still exceeding production, which was continually increased. Sort By: Better Essays. . This isnt 1942. 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 . Its entirely believable that Issigonis would have been prosecuted if hed had gay sex. The cars quickly found their way to the scrapheap since the cost of repairing the automatic transmission typically was more than the car was worth. Bookmark this page and come back often for updates. 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. Richard Bremneris well-known for being a highly-respected motoring scribe, but in his formative years, he worked in the employ of Austin-Rover. 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. His inability to accept guidance (stubbornness may be a better term) also led to some misjudged products the Maxi comes to mind but perhaps the purity of hispredominantly engineering solution with poor execution in the areas Issigonis didnt or wouldnt appreciate (looks, practicality, ergonomics, product revisions, marketing) was also overlooked by too many within BMC. Constantine was very proud of his British citizenship and Alec grew up in a traditional British type of household. 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. But accounts do suggest it done in a pretty crass way. This car basically took the Mini concept and enlarged it by 20%, adding some experience, and ambition, at the same time. 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? A testament to brilliant design or to the modern industrys tendencies towards aversion of risk, I wont say surely some of both. 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. Iconic. Another Mini! Alec's mother, Hulda Prokopp, could trace her origins back to Wrttemberg (now part of Germany). They paid him to design a tractor safety cab after their own designers had 3 attempts and we built 3 failures. Apparently Walter Chrysler could also be difficult to work with. In 1961, with the Mini gaining popularity, Issigonis was promoted to Technical Director of BMC. Nice to see that blue Morris Oxford just the same as our first car that I remember. He failed his degree course but gained a diploma in Mechanical Engineering, at the third attempt, in 1928. Issigoniss legacy is undoubtedly best seen through his cars, from the Minor to the Maxi, which challenged conventions through engineering ingenuity. . The Crossword Solver finds answers to classic crosswords and cryptic crossword puzzles. And his father, a Greek by origin and British by nationality, had inherited a marine engine construction company, an activity that fascinated little Alec. At the opening of the factory BMC was represented by Sir Alec Issigonis. Shortly after in 1962, when gender roles were thought to be defined, one woman chose a life of speed. Birth Name: Alec Issigonis Occupation: Entrepreneur Place Of Birth: Turkey Date Of Birth: November 18, 1906 Date Of Death: October 2, 1988 Cause Of Death: N/A Ethnicity: Unknown Nationality: Greek Alec Issigonis was born on the 18th of November, 1906. The AROnline development story tells the tale of how this small car changed the way we looked at economy cars almost overnight. the outer planets, Uranus and Neptune were not yet discovered, since the telescope had not yet been invented. 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. Issigonis quickly arranged for Jack Daniels to move up from Cowley to Longbridge to rebuild their close rapport. The MG 1100 Sport Sedan a perfect choice when a two-seater MG is too small. It was a very ambitious intention, which Alvis were not capable of delivering on without importing a lot of engineering talent. Ultimately, Alvis had to cancel the project, after the first prototype had been built but before the company had committed to the expenditure of production tooling. It certainly appeared by the Maxi development era that Issigonis wanted to "do his own thing" as cost cutting and development costs spiraled. When I was in grade school in the mid-70s, the next door neighbor of my best friend had 6 Minis. Issigonis became a fellow of the Royal Society in 1967 and was knighted in 1969. During the war, Morris Motors undertook military work, notably the development of the Morris lightweight reconnaissance vehicle for the War Department. Maybe because theyd lost the Issigonis chassis manners? Required fields are marked *. He didnt give a damn about the poor sods who had to work on his cars. Youre right about maintenance. It was one of the first days of the new school year early September and I was walking up the sidewalk and turning the corner to head for the campus. I remember being quite put off by the sound of the engine seemingly racing to maintain 45mph. Found an ad for the US market 1100. And the 1800 the rear seat really seemed limousine-like for the size of the car. His father died in 1922, at which point he and his mother moved to the U.K.. Issigoniss first project was to design an independent suspension for Rootes highest volume car, the Hillman Minx. This prototype never saw the light of day mores the pity. Getting a guy like Issigonis to design a V8 saloon and just chucking it in the bin. Essay on The Pure Voice in Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles. Was it to be water or air cooled? Alec Issigonis was a Scorpio and was born in the G.I. People over the road from us had a Wolseley Six (top of the range Landcrab) when we were kids. 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. Noch ein Mini! Born in Smyrna, Ottoman Empire (now zmir, Turkey) on November 18, 1906, Issigonis immigrated to England with his family in 1922 and later studied engineering at . On a cheerier note, Id love to see that Alvin on the flesh. BL were in thrall of the myth theyd created, but the buying public had much more sense. The rest is racing . 8050 Alec Issigonis Way, Oxford Business Park North, Oxford, United Kingdom, OX4 2HW. Issigonis designed a unitary construction saloon and the V8 engine, and utilised Moultons latest interconnected rubber suspension. Speaking of steering, one of the earlier reviews of the Mini contained the sentence, This is the first car Ive driven that caused me to laugh out loud just going around a corner ! Or words to that effect . Arguably, Issigonis and BL were in danger of being left behind. 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. British car designer best remembered for his work on the development of the iconic Mini. 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. The Crossword Solver found 30 answers to "an alec issigonis family car launched in 1969 (6,4)", 10 letters crossword clue. Click the answer to find similar crossword clues . August 26, 2019. 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. Alec Issigonis. 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. O interesse pelo automvel veio aos 12 anos, quando ele viu um pela primeira vez. All Rights Reserved. November 18, 1906 Car designer Alec Issigonis, the man who gave the world the Mini, was born in Turkey on this day to a Greek father and Bavarian mother. ), British automobile designer who created the best-selling, economical Mini and the perennially popular Morris Minor. The problem was that I would never have initially chosen to drive one. 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. Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis CBE FRS RDI (18 November 1906 - 2 October 1988) was a Greek automotive designer. As a young man, Constantine was sent to England to study, and he later married Hulda Prokopp, the daughter of a wealthy German brewer in Smyrna. Issigonis was a remarkable engineer and obviously made his mark. Thanks for a wonderfully researched article! It was designed to follow on from the Mini and 1100 as the next generation . Corrections? Fascinating piece and what a character! 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. Alec Issigonis The public don't know what they want; it's my job to tell them. Comments about the bus-like steering wheel angle remind me of what I learned about that subject from my Italian cars (Fiats): the relatively horizontal wheel requires/enables the driver to push forward, rather than up, to make a turn a difference that makes better use of the arm, translating to easier and less tiring driving. Was it to be front or rear engined? [11], Issigonis was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1964 Birthday Honours. Even more significantly, it effectively defined the configuration of the small and medium car for the next 50 years. https://www.mini.com/ George Harriman, Leonard Lord and Alec Issogonis. Autokonstrukteur, GBPortrt mit Zigarette- 1959. [7] This ground-breaking design, with its front wheel drive, transverse engine, sump gearbox, 10-inch wheels, and phenomenal space efficiency, was still being manufactured in 2000 and has been the inspiration for almost all small front-wheel drive cars produced since the early 1960s. The closure of the Suez canal created . I dont remember Dad as being what youd call a sporting driver, but he never considered the later Austin-based Oxfords. (The Maxi, by comparison, was a bland lump.). He also worked with Alvis Cars, one of the more obscure carmakers. Copyright 2011 - 2023 Curbside Classics. Please check back soon for updates. The war prevented this design from going into production but it was later used on the MG Y-type. 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. Many did not even make it through the warranty period without the transmission self-destructing. 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. Alec's grandfather Demosthenis migrated to Smyrna from the Greek island of Paros in the 1830s. Im sure this was never part of Issigoniss plan, as he was anti-style, but only the 1100 benefited from external help. Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. His grandfather Demosthenis Issigonis . For Alec Issigonis it was THE chance to prove himself. He remained on the BL books as a consultant until 1988, shortly before his death. [3] 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. Great summary of a giant of industrial design. To clarify, the Renault 4, 5 (first generation, Le Car), 6 and 16 all had longitudinally mounted engines. ADO15, 16 & 17 (36792752942).jpg 1 712 1 936; 589 KB Alec Issigoniss birth sign is Scorpio and he had a ruling planet of Pluto. [], 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. Not sure how true it is, but I read somewhere that he even designed the ashtrays for the Minor. A flawed genius, yes, and BMCs failure to manage him is clear. The relationship got to the point where Issigonis had the ideas, did the sketches and Daniels did the formal drawings. Another thing Sir Alec did not think was important perhaps? 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 A colleague of his had a VW Polo then and kept shaking his head: Well, yes, if there were no other compact cars in the world , Mr. Roger Carr, Thank you. [12], In 1964 Issigonis was appointed a Royal Designer for Industry (RDI). In 1942, the first scale model was produced and the following year work began on a hand-formed steel prototype. 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. Issigonis studied engineering at Battersea Polytechnic in London. Issigonis was dismissive of market research, The public dont know what they want; its my job to tell them and even mathematics, derided as the enemy of every truly creative man. Noch ein Mini (A Mini! In 1922 the family left Turkey for England, as all British people were banished from the country. His love/hate relationship with the companys products stayed with []. 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. Issigonis was born on 18 November 1906 in the Ottoman port city of Smyrna, the only child of Constantine Issigonis and Hulda Prokopp. 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. In 1968, he was appointed as Director of Advanced Research of the newly formed British Leyland, and Harry Webster from Triumph became BLMCs Engineering Director. Issigonis also insisted that no less than 80% of the cars volume be dedicated to passengers and luggage. After briefly working elsewhere in the early 1950s, Issigonis returned to what had become the British Motor Corp., where in 1959, in response to the Suez energy crisis (1956) and the popularity of Germanys Volkswagen Beetle, he introduced the Mini. It is really amazing, when you think of it, that some 60 years later his basic vision rolls off of assembly lines all over the world. The greatest overall compatibility with Scorpio is Taurus and Cancer. By 1941, Issigonis had started work on an advanced post war car, then codenamed Mosquito, which became the Morris Minor. Another Mini!).

Nanograf Stock Symbol, Michigan State Police 137th Recruit School, Articles A