alec issigonis family

" Sir Alec Issigonis. [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. 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. The all-new Mini will be revealed today, on what would have been Mini creator Sir Alec Issigonis's 107th birthday. Alec is . A truly great man and an honour for me. Issgoniss retirement, with George Turnbull, then Managing Director of Austin-Morris. 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. Not something one would anticipate until it is experienced. The floor is flat and low to the ground and windows all round make it seem very airy. Alviss options for body shell production were being reduced, at the same as the estimated costs of the body manufacture doubled. MINI, official partner of Team GB and ParalympicsGB, has unveiled its new London 2012 special, Keith Adams Well, Christmas and Boxing Day are out of the way and the, The replacement for the Austin-Healey 3000 never took off, thanks in part to a poor, British Motor Holdings the joining of BMC and Jaguar, The cars : Mini (ADO15) development story Part One, Concepts and prototypes : BMC 9X (1968-87), Blog : Why the Italians beat us to a supermini by a decade, History : The Road to Perdition Part One, Interview : Alec Issigonis on the BMC 1100, Archive : Mini Shortlisted For Car Of The Century, Archive : Mini still sold at a loss. A testament to brilliant design or to the modern industrys tendencies towards aversion of risk, I wont say surely some of both. Towards the end of WW2, he began work on the Mosquito project, which ended up being launched in 1948 as the Morris Minor. He was a race car driver during the 30s and 40s. Diz lenda que ele considerava a rigidez . My Family's Cars and Industry Pivots: Transverse Mounted Front Wheel Drive 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. Alec Issigonis It is much easier to drive without having an accident. At the peak if his career he was by far the most well-known personality in the British motor industry, one of the most well-known names in the European motor industry, and was the first and perhaps the only car British designer who could claim celebrity status. Issigonis legacy. 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. Like many famous people and celebrities, Alec Issigonis kept his personal life private. 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. I thought I knew everything about Issigonis already, but there were some fascinating insights here. Issigonis was born in Smyrna in 1906. It was at Alvis that Issigonis first worked with another of the influential characters of his career. His name? I hope he knew that he changed the Automobile World for the better. Alec Issigonis - Career - LiquiSearch Comprehensive article. [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). Alec Issigonis - Bio, Personal Life, Family & Cause Of Death - CelebsAges Address 8050 Alec Issigonis Way, Oxford Business Park North, Oxford, OX4 2HW. 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. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alec-Issigonis. Issigonis had also been involved in the larger Oxford, Isis and Wolseley ranges. Issigonis with XC/9001, the car that became the Landcrab. Well, he went down in history as the father of the Mini and was even raised to nobility for his services. There he developed the Morris Minor, which remained in production from 1948 to 1971. Humber was the upscale brand of the Rootes Group, but also the name of the main car building company in the Group. 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. On a cheerier note, Id love to see that Alvin on the flesh. Everyman Classics: Mid-Century Visionary 1 : Alec Issigonis The first car I could identify was apparently a Mini and my mother still tells the story of an early trip to England where I wouldnt be quiet Ein Mini! This prototype never saw the light of day mores the pity. Arguably, Issigonis and BL were in danger of being left behind. Issigonis was an engineer, first and foremost, but I have used the terms design/designer in this piece, in the way that was contemporaneous to Issigonis and as he would have understood it, although we would now use use engineering. Joseph Lowrey, [], The Mini hit its big landmark in 1969, a seismic year in the history of BMC>Rover. It was the highlight of my career and came early as I was just 18 years old and just an apprentice engineer for a tractor company. The last sighting was of a 71 America, in 81, and looking very well cared for. Alvis had a strong military business building armoured cars and personnel carriers, and this part of the business is still going strong as part of BAE Systems. Upon meeting Alec, she is shy and ashamed . The gearbox in sump was a dead end in terms of automotive design. Issigonis who designed the Mini auto Crossword Clue The [], CARS AND DRIVERS by GEOFFREY CHARLES Whatever the outcome of the BMH-Leyland merger in model rationalization, intensified marketing or expansion-and any joint project will not appear for at least 3 [], MOTOR WHY IS THE ADO16? Alec Issigonis was born in 1900s. 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. 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. He often had to be discreetly talked through financial documents when he was in the board meetings. And I myself have engineered a few things with the help of Jack Daniels . The original Minor design was so narrow they had to chop it lengthways and widen it. 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. [], 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. SOL 258H is the oldest surviving gearless car and was the preferred transport of Sir Alex Issigonis. George Harriman, Leonard Lord and Alec Issogonis. The first application of Sir Alec Issigonis' engineering breakthrough - All Photos by Randy Stern, except otherwise noted Remember Sir Alec Issigonis? Alec Issigonis - Wikipedia Bahasa Melayu, ensiklopedia bebas 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. I dont remember Dad as being what youd call a sporting driver, but he never considered the later Austin-based Oxfords. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Another Mini!). [10], There is a road named "Alec Issigonis Way" in the Oxford Business Park on the former site of the Morris Motors factory in Cowley, Oxfordshire. 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. This car basically took the Mini concept and enlarged it by 20%, adding some experience, and ambition, at the same time. BLMC says, Archive : Lord Stokes writes to Alec Issigonis, Archive : How Harry Webster is going to shape your car, Archive : The Thoughts of Chairman Stokes, Archive : Issigonis The Giant Who Thought Small, Archive : Creative role for Issigonis in BMC board switch, Archive : Mr Issigonis looks to the future, Archive : Interview Motor meets Alec Issigonis, The cars : Alfa Romeo Alfasud development story, Opinion : Celebrating 40 years of the Austin Maestro, Essay : Austin Maestro styling the real killer, Concepts and prototypes : LM10 and LM11 facelifts, Archive : Coventry Council Debates Rover Crisis, News : PSA confirms continued van production in Luton. In 1934 Issigonis was invited to join the drawing office at Humber Ltd in Coventry. I caught up to my mate and I said thats a really cool car, what is it? Thats my BrothersMini Cooper. The Axis Powers? Enter the length or pattern for better results. In 1969, in recognition of his engineering genius, Queen Elizabeth granted him Knighthood. 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. Are you sure Renault had transverse-engine hatchbacks by 1974? My doodles and sketches are not the work of an academic engineer. [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. On the right is Alec Issigonis and standing next to him is John Cooper. His father Constantine Issigonis was a successful shipbuilding engineer, whose own father was from Paros. An amazing man, and someone who would probably never rise to prominence in todays auto industry. I have liked them ever since. The Minor, Mini, ADO16 and Landcrab all had character, and were all friendly cars. It confronted the conservative image of BMC head on, even if the rest of BMC range didnt. His mother was from Bavaria. . 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 . MG 1100/1300 Register - NAMGBR This prototype was never manufactured because its cost was beyond Alvis's resources. 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. Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis was born into the Greek city of Smyrna (now zmir) in the Ottoman Empire. Sir Alec Issigonis. He also had plans for a flat four cylinder engine, and at frequentlychallenged convention and Morris Motors conservatism. 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. This greatly modified machine was replaced with a radical special completed in 1939, constructed of plywood laminated in aluminium sheeting. He was a complex man, with a complex background, family story and career. Sir Alec Issigonis - Small Cars, Big Ideas - Cars Less Traveled 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. It didnt just raise the bar it kicked it into next week ! By 1941, Issigonis had started work on an advanced post war car, then codenamed Mosquito, which became the Morris Minor. Alec Issigonis Related Authors Vivienne Westwood Quotes Virgil Abloh Quotes Coco Chanel Quotes Carroll Shelby Quotes Youre right about maintenance. Been a fan of Alec Issigonis since I was 8 years old. Alec Issigonis. Sir Alec Issigonis hadn't even seen a car until he was 12 years old. Encouraged by the success of the Morris Minor, Issigonis continued his design work at Morris (including work on a replacement for the Minor with a transverse 4 cylinderengine with an endon gearbox) until the merger with the Austin in 1952 to form BMC. Bedtime story - Alec Issigonis - Enthusiasts of British Motor Vehicles Alec's mother, Hulda Prokopp, could trace her origins back to Wrttemberg (now part of Germany). Issigonis also insisted that no less than 80% of the cars volume be dedicated to passengers and luggage. Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis ( 18. listopadu 1906 Smyrna - 2. jna 1988 Birmingham) byl ecko - britsk automobilov konstruktr narozen na zem dnenho Turecka. TOP 8 QUOTES BY ALEC ISSIGONIS | A-Z Quotes At the end of the Greek-Turkish war in 1922, British subjects in Smyrna were evacuated by the Royal Navy, ahead of the Turkish re-possession of the area from Greece, with manyinitially travelling to Malta. Issigonis was born on 18 November 1906 in the Ottoman port city of Smyrna, the only child of Constantine Issigonis and Hulda Prokopp. At the end of 1955, Issigonis was recruited back into BMC - this time into the Austin plant at Longbridge - by its chairman Sir Leonard Lord, to design a new model family of three cars. 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. Oxbotica Toronto Office. Alec Issigonis was born in the Year of the Horse. Issigonis returned to BMC to design a range of family vehicles. This isnt 1942. Issigonis officially retired from the motor industry in 1971, although he continued working until shortly before his death in 1988 at his house in Edgbaston, Birmingham. Matchbox featured an MG 1100 in its 1-75 line-up for many years. 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? 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 . The Motor Museum in Miniature But this also reflects Issigoniss personal characteristics he was a strong minded, stubborn and arrogant man who did did not always have a lot of respect for others opinions and suggestions. But accounts do suggest it done in a pretty crass way. I saw that same car several times, so, at least in nice weather, it apparently was a daily driver. When he turned his attention to the ADO16, Issigonis continued his obsession with the maximisation of passenger space combined with the best possible road holding. His father died in 1922, at which point he and his mother moved to the U.K.. 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. He would attend the usual motor shows, but often would refuse to look in detail at the competition, so he did not become confused. I think you can see a narrower car in one of the pre-production photos, above. Oak placed another engineer, Jack Daniels, alongside him to keep his feet on the ground. Alec Issigonis (Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis) was born in Smyrna in the Ottoman Empire (now Izmir, Turkey). [16], In 2003 he was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in the United States. Bookmark this page and come back often for updates. And the 1800 the rear seat really seemed limousine-like for the size of the car. Harris Mann, having a clean sheet, not giving the Allegro or Princess a hatch in the mid 70s is another matter. Sir Alec Issigonis. The Minor was, of course, a huge success, for Nuffield and for Issigonis. He inherited his great interest in technology and machines from his father who, shortly after the turn . [], BMC changed the world with the launch of the Mini in 1959. Demosthenis acquired British nationality through the work he did for the British-built Smyrna-Aydin Railway. Alec Issigonis was born on the 18th of November, 1906. However, there was more to his life than just one car. Contents Early life and education Career Legacy Honours Some of his cars Generation also known as The Greatest Generation. That is how many of us know about these cars or about many 1960s British cars, in general. Im sure the Renault 4, 5, 6, and 16 had longitudinal engines. Absolutely brilliant article about an engineering genius. 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. Generation. His family had to flee Smyrne to es- cape the genocide of 1922 by the Turks. He failed his degree course but gained a diploma in Mechanical Engineering, at the third attempt, in 1928. Sir Alec Issigonis | British automobile designer | Britannica . Issigonis did observe and try to improve on what he saw, but always challenged himself to be original and better. He left Morris in 1952 for Alvis just as BMC was created from Austin and Morris (as well as Riley, Wolseley and MG).. [citation needed] Issigonis often commented to friends and colleagues that the Austin 1800 (ADO17) was the design he was most proud of, even though it never was as commercially successful as his three preceding designs. For his accomplishments, Queen Elizabeth knighted Issigonis in 1969. They paid him to design a tractor safety cab after their own designers had 3 attempts and we built 3 failures. The war prevented this design from going into production but it was later used on the MG Y-type. Issigonis actually sketched the Minis original design with a pencil on a tablecloth. You serve us all wonderfully. Noch ein Mini (A Mini! Later, he was working on an independent suspension for the larger Humber Hawk, with another rising star in the industry, Bill Heynes. 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. Addresses | OxfordBiomedica Nice to see that blue Morris Oxford just the same as our first car that I remember. body design expertise was by Italian firm Pininfarina. The Lightweight Special - TNF's Archive - The Autosport Forums Great summary of a giant of industrial design. Issigonis became a fellow of the Royal Society in 1967 and was knighted in 1969. I was amazed at the amount of space in that car you could even hide things in the cubbyhole under the rear seat. [5]:277. Beatles' Minis: Cars belonging to McCartney, Harrison and Ringo are on At the time of his retirement, 71, hatchbacks were not the thing they were 4 years later. Issigonis 'response was dry and forceful:'I'm an engineer. This is the main reason Lord re-hired Issigonis. Much ADO About Project 15: A History of the Classic Mini He [], DAILY EXPRESS By David Benson Harry Webster is a quiet, unassuming, generous man of 54.

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