alec issigonis family

In August 1959 the car was launched as the Morris Mini Minor and the Austin Seven, which soon became known as the Austin Mini. A family that . (The Maxi, by comparison, was a bland lump.). Sir Alec Issigonis started his career at Humber, known for their Humber Snipe and Humber Hawk models, even Queen Elizabeth II owned a Humber. 8050 Alec Issigonis Way, Oxford Business Park North, Oxford, United Kingdom, OX4 2HW. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Daniels effectively resumed his position as Issigoniss right hand man for the next ten years or more, guiding the interpretation of Issigoniss requests to the workshops, draughtsmen, production engineers and accountants. Ruling Planet: Alec Issigonis had a ruling planet of Pluto and has a ruling planet of Pluto. He would instead research work on his Mini replacement the 9X with its compact transverse engine. 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. This page is updated often with fresh details about Alec Issigonis. 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. 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. 1959: The Mini Was Born. | MINI.com The Landcrab and Maxi were so butt ugly that no self respecting petrolhead would be seen it one. 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. It was a very ambitious intention, which Alvis were not capable of delivering on without importing a lot of engineering talent. Fascinating lost papers from the man who created the Mini and the. When I was in grade school in the mid-70s, the next door neighbor of my best friend had 6 Minis. 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. This isnt 1942. Sir Alec Constantine Issigonis, born in Smyrna, Ottoman Empire on November 18, 1906, is famous for designing the beloved Mini Cooper motor car. In 1942, the first scale model was produced and the following year work began on a hand-formed steel prototype. 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. 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. Alexandros Arnold Constantine Issigonis, more commonly known as Alec Issigionis, was born in Smyrna, Asia Minor, on November 18, 1906. Morris 1100. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Dear Mr Day I have not met you but I feel I must write to explain a few points. Meanwhile from 1930, he raced a supercharged Ulster Austin Seven, and fitted it with an independent front suspension of his own design. Alec Issigonis - Wikipdia, a enciclopdia livre During the war, Morris Motors undertook military work, notably the development of the Morris lightweight reconnaissance vehicle for the War Department. I dont remember Dad as being what youd call a sporting driver, but he never considered the later Austin-based Oxfords. Alec Issigonis Facts for Kids - Kiddle All Rights Reserved. Alexander Issigonis was born into the Greek community of Smyrna (now Izmir) in Ottoman Turkey. In 1961, he became Technical and oversaw the launch of the 1100, 1800 and Maxi all hugely advanced machines, with front-wheel drive, in-sump gearboxes, and interconnected suspension. In 1928 his first job was in the design office of Gillett, an engineering firm in London. 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 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. The irony being, of all the cars built in the world that follow his layout, none carry an Austin or Morris badge. . 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). The cars design with its front wheel drive and independent suspension provided good road handling, but Issigonis had scant regard for passenger comfort. There were, as CC has seen, many and varied reasons for the failure of the Landcrab and Maxi: the control (or rather the lack of it) exercised by Lord and Harriman over Issigonis; the inherited components; and marketing and production issues. [11], Issigonis was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1964 Birthday Honours. Ford clinging to the T too long was the same sort of corporate inertia that had VW clinging to the Bug too long. SOL 258H is the oldest surviving gearless car and was the preferred transport of Sir Alex Issigonis. Joseph Lowrey, [], The Mini hit its big landmark in 1969, a seismic year in the history of BMC>Rover. BMC . He was retired from British Leyland in 1971, memorably being given a Meccano kit for his leaving present. This prototype never saw the light of day mores the pity. Issigonis became a fellow of the Royal Society in 1967 and was knighted in 1969. All Rights Reserved. It was more like a Lancia or a rear drive Citroen than a Rover or a Sunbeam-Talbot. 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. And Alec Issigonis? His father, however, did not survive the crossing. He also worked with Alvis Cars, one of the more obscure carmakers. I fist saw a Mini on my way to middle school in 1965. Nice to see that blue Morris Oxford just the same as our first car that I remember. 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. At Alvis, Issigoniss main task was to lead the development of a more affordable, higher volume luxury car. He was knighted in 1969 and was honored by the city of Oxford with a street named after him, Alec Issigonis Way. Alec Issigonis The public don't know what they want; it's my job to tell them. . That Alvis is one of those missed opportunities that ultimately doomed the company. Great summary of a giant of industrial design. [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. Was it to be front or rear engined? Alec Issigonis: The Greek Creator of the Mini Car I remember being quite put off by the sound of the engine seemingly racing to maintain 45mph. : Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis , CBE, FRS, RDI 19061118-1988102 . It confronted the conservative image of BMC head on, even if the rest of BMC range didnt. The Crossword Solver found 30 answers to "an alec issigonis family car launched in 1969 (6,4)", 10 letters crossword clue. Heynes later became Technical Director at Jaguar and was a personal friend of Issigonis for many years. In the face of all this mayhem, Mrs. Issigonis decided to migrate with Alex to Britain, a land neither knew. He left Morris in 1952 for Alvis just as BMC was created from Austin and Morris (as well as Riley, Wolseley and MG).. An amazing man, and someone who would probably never rise to prominence in todays auto industry. He inherited his great interest in technology and machines from his father who, shortly after the turn . MG 1100/1300 Register - NAMGBR Sir Alec Issigonis - Person - National Portrait Gallery 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. The Boudjah - Smyrna born Alec Issigonis was an engineering genius and even after his death there is a fan base for his cars. It was, though, used on the postwar MG Y Type saloons. 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. It had one option an AM radio, hung below the dash. 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. Indeed gay sex was illegal in the UK until 1968 and for many years after prejudice was rife. His mother was Bavarian, the daughter of a brewer. Born Alexandros Arnoldos Konstantinos Issigonis on the 18th of November, 1906, Alexander Issigonis' family were part of the Greek community in the port city of Smrna. Chrysler also took a licence to manufacture the device, which was an integral part of their pioneering overdrive in 1934. the outer planets, Uranus and Neptune were not yet discovered, since the telescope had not yet been invented. [9] He was cremated at the Lodge Hill Cemetery in nearby Selly Oak. The Motor Museum in Miniature 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. Generation also known as The Greatest Generation. Issigonis would work on the 9X programme, which included a replacement Mini and a new and innovative gearless transmission system. PDF SIR ALEC ISSIGONIS was an automobile engineer whose name will always be Issigonis's mother, Hulda Prokopp, was descended from a Bavarian brewing family who had settled in Smyrna, and established a brewery. [], 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. 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. The first application of Sir Alec Issigonis' engineering breakthrough - All Photos by Randy Stern, except otherwise noted Remember Sir Alec Issigonis? 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. He failed his degree course but gained a diploma in Mechanical Engineering, at the third attempt, in 1928. And I myself have engineered a few things with the help of Jack Daniels . People over the road from us had a Wolseley Six (top of the range Landcrab) when we were kids. How about an uncomfortable driver is a distracted driver? 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. His last Morris projects were the 1953 Morris Oxford and Isis saloons, launched after the BMC merger, and which used the BMC B series engine. 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. The Crossword Solver finds answers to classic crosswords and cryptic crossword puzzles. 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. Beatles' Minis: Cars belonging to McCartney, Harrison and Ringo are on He was knighted in 1969 and was honored by the city of Oxford with a street named after him, Alec Issigonis Way. A testament to brilliant design or to the modern industrys tendencies towards aversion of risk, I wont say surely some of both. On October 2, 1988, he passed . Sir Alec Issigonis, in full Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis, (born Nov. 18, 1906, Smyrna [now zmir], Tur.died Oct. 2, 1988, Birmingham, Eng. He remained on the BL books as a consultant until 1988, shortly before his death. Not sure how true it is, but I read somewhere that he even designed the ashtrays for the Minor. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Towards the end of WW2, he began work on the Mosquito project, which ended up being launched in 1948 as the Morris Minor. Sir Alex Arnold Constantine Issigonis (1906-1988) - Find a Grave 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. Sir Alec Issigonis 1906 - 1988 - Solar Navigator Issigonis, Alec - Hellenism.Net Alec Issigonis | Bartleby One tidbit I recall: when the Morris Minor design was almost finished the book showed the designer holding a brass model of the car it was decided to add a few inches of width at the centerline. [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). If it was front engined, was it to be rear wheel or front wheel drive? Here in Australia they didnt seem particularly small, but they were certainly a lot more roomy than the competition. 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. Alec Issigonis - Career - LiquiSearch 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 . Everyman Classics: Mid-Century Visionary 1 : Alec Issigonis Address 8050 Alec Issigonis Way, Oxford Business Park North, Oxford, OX4 2HW. Contents Early life and education Career Legacy Honours Some of his cars Alec Issigonis Net Worth 2023: Wiki Bio, Married, Dating, Family Durante o curso ele foi reprovado trs vezes em matemtica. 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. There was a long drive way that ran along the school cafeteria that parents used to drop off students in the morning. 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. . 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 studied engineering at Battersea Polytechnic in London. [], The most comprehensive story youll ever read about the aborted 9X programme the ill-fated Mini replacement, engineered by the man who created the original. My sister had an MG 1100 which blew me away in 1970. The strengths of this sign are being resourceful, brave, passionate, a true friend, while weaknesses can be distrusting, jealous, secretive and violent. As a person whos worked as a CAD drafter for 24 years, I wonder what his objection to CAD was. AROnline Keith Adams 2001-2022 - please refer to the 'Terms of use' pages. Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis was born in the Turkish town of Smyrna, today's Izmir, as the son of a Briton of Greek origin and a mother from Bavaria, on 18 November 1906. Alec Issigonis was born in Smyrna (now Izmir) in Turkey on 18 November 1906 to a British-naturalized father of Greek origin and a Bavarian-born mother. View 6 Images. Alec Issigonis - Etsy Check out our alec issigonis selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops. There he developed the Morris Minor, which remained in production from 1948 to 1971. . Hulda Issigonis then returned to Malta, leaving sixteen year old Alec alone in London, returning only after Constantine had died. Humber was the upscale brand of the Rootes Group, but also the name of the main car building company in the Group. Issigonis was born in Smyrna in 1906. I do not know how many I have owned Morrises, Austins and MGs. I was eight when my dad bought one of those brand new cars at a reduced price from the NYC dealer $850 for an Austin 850 ($6,800 in 2016 money) British car designer best remembered for his work on the development of the iconic Mini. If only it had had more power and better gearing. Alec Issigonis: straight from a family thrilled by technology. John Daly, Your email address will not be published. He continued to be responsible for his original XC projects. The inability of these cars to withstand business case scrutiny crucial in the companys decline, and others must also stand up for that -Issigonis didnt claim to be a product planner in the sense Ford would recognise but saw all his cars as separate entities. This prototype was never manufactured because its cost was beyond Alvis's resources. While much derided for its lack of style, I do love the huge smile he put on the front of the original 1800 Landcrab. 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. Giving the Mini, ADO16 and ADO17 were all designed well before hatchbacks were popular, the beancounters no doubt would be up in arms at the thought of spending more money on tooling for an already old design. On the right is Alec Issigonis and standing next to him is John Cooper. Issigonis' first cousin once removed was Bernd Pischetsreider, responsible . Despite its stated mission being to provide basic transport, this level of driving enjoyment, and capability, was like a non stop Christmas present. 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. I think you can see a narrower car in one of the pre-production photos, above. Issigonis then went back to the British Motor Corporation, where the influence of many political factors led him to his major breakthrough. 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 . 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. View gallery - 6 images. I had a book about Issigonis, but its lost. He was impossible to work with, had Henry Fords arrogance and nearly bankrupted the company like Ford, by refusing to listen to anyone. But the story begins even further back, with a man named Demosthenis, Alec's grandfather, who emigrated from Greece to Asia-Minor in the 1830s and worked for the Smyrna-Aydn Railway. He didnt say by 1974 in regard to VW and Renault. 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. The Morris Minor was an immediate success, selling over 11 million units, and was the first characterization of Issigoniss philosophy of maximizing interior space while shrinking all other components. . Issigonis made a grandfather clock from it, which kept good time. Vic Oak and Reginald Hanks, Morriss Managing Director did though, arranging a 50% salary increase for Issigonis in April 1948, to 1500 per year. * Commander of the British Empire (1964), Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (1967), Royal Designer for Industry (1964). However, there was more to his life than just one car. BMC was producing over 11,000 Issigonis-designed front-wheel-drive models a week, with demand still exceeding production, which was continually increased. . Much ADO About Project 15: A History of the Classic Mini Your email address will not be published. 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 Crossword Solver finds answers to classic crosswords and cryptic crossword puzzles. Alec Issigonis It is much easier to drive without having an accident. To achieve this feat, Issigonis utilized a front wheel drive layout with a transverse-mounted engine, the first modern application of this concept. Issigonis - Hero or Villain? | ViaRETRO Are you sure Renault had transverse-engine hatchbacks by 1974? The childhood . Issgoniss retirement, with George Turnbull, then Managing Director of Austin-Morris. [13], He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1967. [16], In 2003 he was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in the United States. Alec is also well known as, British car designer best remembered for his work on the development of the iconic Mini. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alec-Issigonis. 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. Issigonis (standing) with the special at Shelsey Walsh hillclimb. Prior to his death, Alec and his mother travelled overland to London. It is arguably doubtful that Lord, knowing Issigonis better, would have seen him as the ideal candidate for the overall technical leadership of BMC. Apparently Walter Chrysler could also be difficult to work with. 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. Whos the richest Entrepreneur in the world. 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. Zodiac Sign: Alec Issigonis was a Scorpio. The above photo is a publicity shot with the first produced Mini, at his retirement in 1972. The first car to repeat the concept of the Mini was the ADO16, which is often considered to be Issigoniss finest hour. Alec Issigonis (Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis) was born in Smyrna in the Ottoman Empire (now Izmir, Turkey). If only it had had more power and better gearing. 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. The car was launched at the 1948 London Motor Show, alongside the Land Rover and Jaguar XK120, and the rest is pure CC history. Kereta rekaannya, BMC Mini dilancarkan dalam tahun 1959. Below are all possible answers to this clue ordered by its rank. He [], DAILY EXPRESS By David Benson Harry Webster is a quiet, unassuming, generous man of 54. But, as ever, events intervened in this case the Suez Crisis of 1956, complete with petrol rationing. XC/9002 became ADO16 and was launched as the Morris 1100 with the Hydrolastic interconnected suspension system in August 1962. Oxford Study Courses Kereta ini menjadi kereta popular di Britain dan banyak negara di dunia, di samping berjaya menjuarai Rali Monte Carlo sebanyak 3 kali. I have heard some slander about his idea of putting the gearbox in the engine sump, but otherwise, he changed transportation for the masses on a scale not seen since Henry Ford. Having been a passenger in an early Austin Landcrab on several occasions I can confirm they are amazingly spacious inside, front and rear. They paid him to design a tractor safety cab after their own designers had 3 attempts and we built 3 failures. Oak placed another engineer, Jack Daniels, alongside him to keep his feet on the ground. 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. The end of the agreement came in 1986, when Issigonis wrote directly to Graham Day, BLs then new Chairman. Unfinished Sympathy - Driven To Write Updates? I tell you the last time I was that close to a Japanese machine, it was shooting at me.. Back in 1980 a friends father of mine who was a MP sergeant owned a then new Mini Cooper 1275 cc. People born under this sign are seen as warm-hearted and easygoing. The Royal Navy Marines evacuated British Subjects, including the Issigonis family, from Smyrna before Turkey attacked. Click the answer to find similar crossword clues . In 1969, in recognition of his engineering genius, Queen Elizabeth granted him Knighthood. Issigonis returned to BMC to design a range of family vehicles. The innovation he created by switching the orientation of the engine, changing the traditional transmission to a transaxle and sending power to the front wheels was a magnificent idea! Enter the length or pattern for better results. [5]:277. 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.

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