alec issigonis family

When Morris and Austin merged to form the British Motor Corporation in 1952, Issigonis decided to leave the company. He took advantage of other peoples suspension designs, Moultons rubber cones and the isolastic, as they freed up more space. Morris 1100. Was it to be water or air cooled? He remained on the BL books as a consultant until 1988, shortly before his death. body design expertise was by Italian firm Pininfarina. It was as modern and progressive in 1948 as the ADO16 Morris 1100 was in 1962, and let down only by the relatively weak and old side valve engine. That's exactly what he did. My doodles and sketches are not the work of an academic engineer. His father, however, did not survive the crossing. During the war, Morris Motors undertook military work, notably the development of the Morris lightweight reconnaissance vehicle for the War Department. British car designer best remembered for his work on the development of the iconic Mini. LJK Setright, in his book The Designers describes Issigonis as working as a sculptor works, moving masses into different juxtapositions until his trained eye told him they were right. Moultons hydrolastic suspension as installed on the BMC ADO16 by Issigonis. Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis (Greek: , )CBE FRS RDI (18 November 1906 2 October 1988) was a British-Greek automotive designer. Young Alec grew up in a very affluent environment, with influences from Germany and Greece (he grew up speaking German and Greek), rather than Turkey and Britain. Sketch by the late Sir Alec Issigonis, of the original Morris Minor, circa 1946. The irony being, of all the cars built in the world that follow his layout, none carry an Austin or Morris badge. (The Maxi, by comparison, was a bland lump.). Alviss options for body shell production were being reduced, at the same as the estimated costs of the body manufacture doubled. Issigonis continued to work as Engineering Director at the Austin-Morris Division of BMC, and as Technical Director of BMC in 1965. I wonder if he was to blame for the Mini never having a hatchback, or a more softly suspended version? 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. 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. Issigonis went into the motor industry as an engineer and designer working for Humber and competed successfully in motor racing during the 1930s and 1940s. And the 1800 the rear seat really seemed limousine-like for the size of the car. 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. Joseph Lowrey, MOTOR: As soon [], Mr Alec Issigoniss New B.M.C. [11], Issigonis was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1964 Birthday Honours. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alec-Issigonis. But accounts do suggest it done in a pretty crass way. 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. 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. Your article sure did him justice; thank you, Roger. You could, however, discern Issigoniss influence on some of BMCs light commercials, especially the underfloor engined JU and walk through EA vans of the late 1960s. Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis was born into the Greek community of Smyrnain Ottoman Turkey. Issigonis and Dowson then travelled into Austria to the mountain climb competition at the then new Grossglockner Hochalpen Pass. Styled by Pininfarina, it was launched as the Morris 1100 in 1962, and a year later as the Austin 1100, and the clean, classical lines of the car served BMC well. Demosthenis acquired British nationality through the work he did for the British-built Smyrna-Aydin Railway. He also has one of the finest technical brains in the country and he is [], THE GUARDIAN IAN BREACH interviews LORD STOKES Safety: British or American standards? He still worked to his consultancy agreement but did so almost exclusively from home, briefing and debriefing nominated BL engineers each morning. 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. BL were in thrall of the myth theyd created, but the buying public had much more sense. Astrologers and astronomers could only work with planets visible to the eye. Who are the richest people in the world? Once more details are available, we will update this section. On 15 October 2006 a rally was held at the Heritage Motor Centre in Gaydon, England, to celebrate the centenary of Issigonis's birth. It did not have everything Issigonis wanted, as he originally planned this car to have a V4 engine rather than the BMC A series. He attended London's Battersea Polytechnic before entering the University of London External Programme. Copyright 2011 - 2023 Curbside Classics. Ruling Planet: Alec Issigonis had a ruling planet of Pluto and has a ruling planet of Pluto. Kereta ini menjadi kereta popular di Britain dan banyak negara di dunia, di samping berjaya menjuarai Rali Monte Carlo sebanyak 3 kali. Whos the richest Entrepreneur in the world? A flawed genius, yes, and BMCs failure to manage him is clear. He was impossible to work with, had Henry Fords arrogance and nearly bankrupted the company like Ford, by refusing to listen to anyone. Issigonis designed a unitary construction saloon and the V8 engine, and utilised Moultons latest interconnected rubber suspension. Perhaps it was a trait that ran in the family. 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. Sir Alec was a combination of everything that was right AND wrong about the British car industry in his day. As such he was of the generation who experienced the privations of two apocalyptic world wars. Bookmark this page and come back often for updates. Issigonis was excused service in the armed forces and remained at Cowley working on military vehicles of various types, including a very basic compact load carrier often described as a motorised wheelbarrow intended for use in jungle conditions together with an amphibious version designed for use by the Royal Navy. At the end of 1955, Issigonis moved to BMC to head up the development of the corporations new family of cars. The typical American indifference to regular maintenance did not play well with this setup. 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 . I was amazed at the amount of space in that car you could even hide things in the cubbyhole under the rear seat. The AROnline development story tells the tale of how this small car changed the way we looked at economy cars almost overnight. Noch ein Mini! info@oxbotica.com +44 (0)1865 433 998. Tragically, Constantine Issigonis contracted a serious illness, and died in Malta in June 1923. Demosthenis's son (Alec's father) Constantine Issigonis (Greek: ), was born, with British nationality, in Smyrna in 1872. Humber were more interested in the sales engineer than his product, and Issigonis moved to Humber in 1933. Issigonis made a grandfather clock from it, which kept good time. Many did not even make it through the warranty period without the transmission self-destructing. 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. Issigonis had the dream of becoming an automobile engineer at an early age. [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. 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. Most events he entered were sprints and hillclimbs, but he also competed in some circuit races. Just re-watched the documentary about Issigonis, which has a great deal on the lightweight special It was 1999 channel 4 a full evenings programmes devoted to the 40th anniversary of the Mini. [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. The loss of British sovereignty led not only to a political defeat but also to an oil crisis. Noch ein Mini (A Mini! An amazing man, and someone who would probably never rise to prominence in todays auto industry. . By 1969 Fiat had also followed with the 128, and by 1974 Peugeot, VW and Renault had transverse engine hatchbacks as well. A GLIMPSE INTO THE LIFE OF THE MINI FOUNDER. He also had plans for a flat four cylinder engine, and at frequentlychallenged convention and Morris Motors conservatism. The Mini went on to become the best selling British car in history with a production run of 5.3million cars. [1][2], Issigonis was born on 18 November 1906 in the Ottoman port city of Smyrna, the only child of Constantine Issigonis and Hulda Prokopp. Durante o curso ele foi reprovado trs vezes em matemtica. 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. 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. We now call them Real Minis, to distinguish them from the post 2001 imitations. Red: Yeah, its mine. George Harriman, Leonard Lord and Alec Issogonis. Click the answer to find similar crossword clues . Click the answer to find similar crossword clues . He left Morris in 1952 for Alvis just as BMC was created from Austin and Morris (as well as Riley, Wolseley and MG).. Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. 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. 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. It was designed to follow on from the Mini and 1100 as the next generation . The Boudjah - Smyrna born Alec Issigonis was an engineering genius and even after his death there is a fan base for his cars. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Issigonis was born in Smyrna in 1906. However, there was more to his life than just one car. The family is almost penniless. 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. People of this zodiac sign like truth, being right, longtime friends, teasing, and dislike dishonesty, revealing secrets, passive people. He also worked with Alvis Cars, one of the more obscure carmakers. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. I tell you the last time I was that close to a Japanese machine, it was shooting at me.. But it was an exciting period, and youve captured his personality and lasting impact well. He was knighted in 1969 and was honored by the city of Oxford with a street named after him, Alec Issigonis Way. Zodiac Sign: Alec Issigonis was a Scorpio. This was to be an advanced saloon with all aluminium V-8 engine, and the original plan was for Alvis to produce 5,000 cars a year, or ten times Alviss current production rate, to compete with Riley (not then a badge engineered BMC product), Rover, Sunbeam-Talbot and Jaguar. On October 2, 1988, he passed . 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. 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. The MG 1100 Sport Sedan a perfect choice when a two-seater MG is too small. Stokes was heard on his appointment to say: "We'll sharp sort this bloke Issigonis out!". Alec Issigonis. And his father, a Greek by origin and British by nationality, had inherited a marine engine construction company, an activity that fascinated little Alec. The car, as developed in a prototype form, showed potential as well as technical ambition the cars unitary construction made it relatively light and strong, it offered 6 seats, had a rear mounted transaxle, including the clutch, inboard rear brakes, long wheelbase configuration so typical of Issigonis and a modern, sophisticated 3.5 litre V8 engine. Alec Issigonis was born on the 18th of November, 1906. He was able to share his engineering and automotive interests, through frequent tours of Longbridge in the 1960s, with a first cousin once removed on his mothers side of his family, who later completed a mechanical engineering degree and followed a career in the motor industry. Manual transmissions seemed to hold up ok,lasting at least as long as the engine. Enter a Crossword Clue Sort by Length Contents Early life and education Career Legacy Honours Some of his cars Absolutely brilliant article about an engineering genius. The end of the agreement came in 1986, when Issigonis wrote directly to Graham Day, BLs then new Chairman. However, his story proves: never give up your dreams even if life puts obstacles in your way. Omissions? 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. Alec Issigonis, the brilliant British designer of the Morris Minor and the Mini, is one of the commanding figures in the history of automobile design and engineering. Getting a guy like Issigonis to design a V8 saloon and just chucking it in the bin. The Minor, Mini, ADO16 and Landcrab all had character, and were all friendly cars. 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. 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. The all-new Mini will be revealed today, on what would have been Mini creator Sir Alec Issigonis's 107th birthday. The mini leaked like a sieve because of the way hed designed the sills and had to be redesigned. Plenty of space and comfort in the back, as I recall, but my fathers Rover P6 was much more stylish. Issigonis 'response was dry and forceful:'I'm an engineer. Alec Issigonis - Etsy Check out our alec issigonis selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops. Enter your username or email to reset your password. He was also referred to as the Greek God, perhaps more openly. Yes, it ran like hell when operable as the owner treated it like an Army Jeep. 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. 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. The Mini caused a sensation with its design and rather small size in the late 1950s thanks to its inventor, the Englishman Alec Issigonis. Looking at the Minor or the Mini, I can believe that. In 1952, just as the British Motor Corporation (BMC) was formed by the merger of Morris and Austin, he moved to Alvis Cars where he designed an advanced saloon with all-aluminium V-8 engine, and experimented with interconnected independent suspension systems. By the mid 1950s, as Europe got back on its feet after the war, there had been many attempts to define the modern car, but none was proving to be dominantly successful. Mr. Front-Wheel Drive: Sir Alec Issigonis . [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). The original plan called for a large family car by 1960, to be followed by a smaller car and then a city car. They kept it several years until they decided they needed their 1st air-conditioned car a 66 LeMans. meantime, John preferred his psychedelic Rolls .. Roger, hats off for this excellent treatment of an engineering legend. 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. Upon meeting Alec, she is shy and ashamed . Issigonis was born on 18 November 1906 in the Ottoman port city of Smyrna, the only child of Constantine Issigonis and Hulda Prokopp. So in here in the U.S. the ADO16 went down in obscurity, while its far less sophisticated but more reliable competition built by the Axis powers took over the small car market. 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. Cylcops center guage; magic wand shift-lever; and bus-sized steering wheel. It really showed up typical RWD cars of the time as being great space-wasters. Chinese Zodiac: Alec Issigonis was born in the Year of the Rabbit. Alec Issigonis was born in Turkey. [], BMC changed the world with the launch of the Mini in 1959. 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. Youre right about maintenance. He convinced Issigonis to ready the Mini for the Rallye Monte Carlo. He was reluctant to consider features such as large boots or hatchbacks, or engine access, as important. By 1945, a full scale static prototype close to the familiar production form was completed. 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. Innovative. But at the age of 50, he began designing one of the most iconic vehicles ever produced: the classic Mini. The floor is flat and low to the ground and windows all round make it seem very airy. A series engine, with gearbox beneath and side mounted radiator. 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). It was a very ambitious intention, which Alvis were not capable of delivering on without importing a lot of engineering talent. * Commander of the British Empire (1964), Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (1967), Royal Designer for Industry (1964). Alec Issigonis. He showed that cars could be practical and pleasant to ride in and drive, and that size was not everything; he defined the template for the small petrol engined car for 50 years, maybe longer, and showed how modest cars could become wish list items, attracting customer such as Enzo Ferrari. 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. Another thing Sir Alec did not think was important perhaps? . They represent many years of design study in attempts to produce the best value for money in the field of small car design. A deeply flawed genius at best. While much derided for its lack of style, I do love the huge smile he put on the front of the original 1800 Landcrab. 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. In 1961, a shipload of Minis suffered mild water damage on their journey to the east coast of US. In October, 1957, just eight months after first putting pen to paper, the first prototypes were on the road. At the age of 30 he worked for the Morris Engineering Department and celebrated his first success with the construction of the Morris Minor. XC/9002 became ADO16 and was launched as the Morris 1100 with the Hydrolastic interconnected suspension system in August 1962. Constantine studied in England. He didnt give a damn about the poor sods who had to work on his cars. *27/02/01 The new Mini which will go on sale in the UK summer 2001, was , being unveiled for the first time. He was flattered to be copied, though. He inherited his great interest in technology and machines from his father who, shortly after the turn . 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. 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. It was, though, used on the postwar MG Y Type saloons. He attended Londons Battersea Polytechnic before entering the University of London External Programme. At the opening of the factory BMC was represented by Sir Alec Issigonis. Issigonis also devised a compact suspension system made of rubber cones instead of springs to keep the wheel wells from intruding into the passenger compartment. As a Morris Minor owner I appreciated it .

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