alec issigonis family

Alec Issigonis was born in the Year of the Horse. Therefore some functionality is missing. 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. 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? I thought I knew everything about Issigonis already, but there were some fascinating insights here. Issigonis also insisted that no less than 80% of the cars volume be dedicated to passengers and luggage. Cooper took the prototype out for a spin and realised this fuel-saving people's car cornered like no other. Biography: Sir Alec Issigonis - Curbside Classic Production only finished after BMW had bailed out of Rover in 2000. [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. You serve us all wonderfully. German Engineer Who Designed And Built The First Practical Automobile (Crossword ClueThe crossword clue German engineer who designed and built the first practical automobile. PDF SIR ALEC ISSIGONIS was an automobile engineer whose name will always be Alec Issigonis is part of G.I. But his true interest was in the 9X and its power unit, and getting a version of it accepted by BL. Red: Yeah, its mine. He would attend the usual motor shows, but often would refuse to look in detail at the competition, so he did not become confused. 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. Alexandros Arnold Constantine Issigonis, more commonly known as Alec Issigionis, was born in Smyrna, Asia Minor, on November 18, 1906. Suffice to say it was an ambitious project for a family of compact cars - the smaller of the pair shorter overall than . Professor Alex Moulton. If it was front engined, was it to be rear wheel or front wheel drive? It was designed to follow on from the Mini and 1100 as the next generation . Alec Issigonis was a hugely . Having been a passenger in an early Austin Landcrab on several occasions I can confirm they are amazingly spacious inside, front and rear. The lower picture is is an early (1958) Issigonis drawing of his vision for the Mini. He failed his degree course but gained a diploma in Mechanical Engineering, at the third attempt, in 1928. The Mini caused a sensation with its design and rather small size in the late 1950s thanks to its inventor, the Englishman Alec Issigonis. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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. Road & Tracks test of the Austin America included the line, Superb four-speed fully automatic transmission makes more difference than youd believe possible. But they also noted that with just a few thousand miles on their test car, there was some issue (I forget what) with the trunk lock, and the outside of the engine was covered with oily black grime. In October, 1957, just eight months after first putting pen to paper, the first prototypes were on the road. He didnt give a damn about the poor sods who had to work on his cars. View 6 Images. The Mini, and the other Issigonis BMC front wheel drive cars, benefited from Issigonis continuing collaboration with Alex Moulton and his suspension system developments. 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. Essay on The Pure Voice in Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles. The AROnline development story tells the tale of how this small car changed the way we looked at economy cars almost overnight. Heynes later became Technical Director at Jaguar and was a personal friend of Issigonis for many years. 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. Vic Oak and Reginald Hanks, Morriss Managing Director did though, arranging a 50% salary increase for Issigonis in April 1948, to 1500 per year. In 1952, the year BMC was formed, he moved to Alvis where he designed an advanced saloon, and experimented with interconnected independent suspension systems. And the result was the creation of more than just an economical car. The war years were spent. 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. 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). [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. Sir Alec Constantine Issigonis, born in Smyrna, Ottoman Empire on November 18, 1906, is famous for designing the beloved Mini Cooper motor car. Unless it was at some very small, unique company; something like TVR comes to mind. The initials "G.I." By 1969 Fiat had also followed with the 128, and by 1974 Peugeot, VW and Renault had transverse engine hatchbacks as well. His mother was from Bavaria. At the opening of the factory BMC was represented by Sir Alec Issigonis. British car designer best remembered for his work on the development of the iconic Mini. O interesse pelo automvel veio aos 12 anos, quando ele viu um pela primeira vez. To clarify, the Renault 4, 5 (first generation, Le Car), 6 and 16 all had longitudinally mounted engines. Issigonis was a good packaging designer. His name? [3] Whilst he is most famous for his creation of the Mini, he was most proud of his participation in the design of the Morris Minor. MINI Revolutionary with the Drawing Pad - myAutoWorld.com Look what happened to Alan Turing. It was more like a Lancia or a rear drive Citroen than a Rover or a Sunbeam-Talbot. Alviss options for body shell production were being reduced, at the same as the estimated costs of the body manufacture doubled. . 8050 Alec Issigonis Way, Oxford Business Park North, Oxford, United Kingdom, OX4 2HW. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. How about an uncomfortable driver is a distracted driver? Biography: Sir ALEC issigonis - The designer of Britain's favourite cars, Britain's favourite car designer . A series engine, with gearbox beneath and side mounted radiator. (first posted 10/24/2016) Alec Issigonis, along with Sir Henry Royce and perhaps Colin Chapman, has the greatest name recognition in the UK for any British car designer or engineer. The Royal Navy Marines evacuated British Subjects, including the Issigonis family, from Smyrna before Turkey attacked. 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. 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. [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. . He persisted in this into the 1980s, competing in vain against the Austin Metro, an improved version of the BMC A series engine and seemingly oblivious to the Companys financial state. Roger, are you saying that Graham Day ended the consultancy and goodwill payments because he was offended by Issigoniss letter? Issigonis never married; most accounts suggest that he was probably gay but he was obviously unable to express himself without huge risk to his professional status and even the risk of prosecution. Sir Alec Issigonis. Alec Issigonis: The Man Who Made the Mini, Sir Alec Issigonis, 81; Designer of Minicar And Morris Minor. 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. Alternate titles: Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis. Twitter; 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 . The cars design with its front wheel drive and independent suspension provided good road handling, but Issigonis had scant regard for passenger comfort. His father Constantine Issigonis was a successful shipbuilding engineer, whose own father was from Paros. From London to Longbridge: The streets that made Mini 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. Oak placed another engineer, Jack Daniels, alongside him to keep his feet on the ground. [13], He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1967. . He title at Alvis was Engineer in charge of passenger car design. Contents Early life and education Career Legacy Honours Some of his cars 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. In 1961, a shipload of Minis suffered mild water damage on their journey to the east coast of US. 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. At Alvis, Issigoniss main task was to lead the development of a more affordable, higher volume luxury car. Issigonis legacy. Alec's mother, Hulda Prokopp, could trace her origins back to Wrttemberg (now part of Germany). Sir Alec Issigonis - Driven To Write body design expertise was by Italian firm Pininfarina. Issigonis studied engineering at Battersea Polytechnic in London. His motor industry career at Humber, and during his time there, he competed in motor racing notably designing his own lightweight version of a supercharged Ulster Austin Seven with his own front axle. 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. 1925 . 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. By 1941, Issigonis had started work on an advanced post war car, then codenamed Mosquito, which became the Morris Minor. 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. August 26, 2019. But at the age of 50, he began designing one of the most iconic vehicles ever produced: the classic Mini. There he developed the Morris Minor, which remained in production from 1948 to 1971. 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. Generation. He did not want more conventional answers, without at least exploring some technical advances. [4] There he witnessed the awe inspiring (and Nazi funded) Auto Union and Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix cars, as well as the Alfa Romeo P3 of Nuvolari, which won the race, much to the Nazis discomfort. Enter your username or email to reset your password. Alec Issigoniss birth sign is Scorpio and he had a ruling planet of Pluto. A truly great man and an honour for me. Kereta rekaannya, BMC Mini dilancarkan dalam tahun 1959. Constantine was very proud of his British citizenship and Alec grew up in a traditional British type of household. Alec Issigonis - Etsy Check out our alec issigonis selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops. I saw about 3 Americas in the wild that I can remember, and 1 example of the earlier MG 1100 Sport Sedan. People over the road from us had a Wolseley Six (top of the range Landcrab) when we were kids. Gillett was developing a freewheel device for use on cars, partly as a refinement and fuel economy device, and partly to reduce the need for double declutching gearchanges in the pre-synchromesh era. Your article sure did him justice; thank you, Roger. In 1961, with the Mini gaining popularity, Issigonis was promoted to Technical Director of BMC. Issigonis was a remarkable engineer and obviously made his mark. 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 legacy - Education 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. I tell you the last time I was that close to a Japanese machine, it was shooting at me.. BL were in thrall of the myth theyd created, but the buying public had much more sense. This page is updated often with fresh details about Alec Issigonis. Friendly was ideal for owner-buyers, a large part of the British car buying public, but never appealed to thrusting young execs and salesmen, which is why BLMC was so desperate for the Marina to crack the fleet market. However, there was more to his life than just one car. The first application of Sir Alec Issigonis' engineering breakthrough - All Photos by Randy Stern, except otherwise noted Remember Sir Alec Issigonis? Humber were more interested in the sales engineer than his product, and Issigonis moved to Humber in 1933. By October 1959, the Mini was on sale and when the press first got their hands on BMCs new car, they were not shy to praise it; the Minis unique personality, exceptional space efficiency, lively performance and tenacious front-wheel-drive handling meant that it was a sure fire hit with the critics. Then of course there was severe corrosion in the face of road salt. On his side, Issigonis built a large model railway in the double garage that ran out through the walls and around the garden. 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. 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. He attended London's Battersea Polytechnic before entering the University of London External Programme. 37 Sir Alec Issigonis Premium High Res Photos - Getty Images [citation needed] He considered it to be a vehicle that combined many of the luxuries and conveniences of a good motor car with a price suitable for the working classes in contrast to the Mini which was a spartan mode of conveyance with everything cut to the bone. The ease of driving it, attributable to Issigoniss careful and thoughtful suspension and steering design, as well as the comparatively low weight of the car, were factors in that as well as the comfort and space it provided. In 1942, the first scale model was produced and the following year work began on a hand-formed steel prototype. Issigonis returned to BMC to design a range of family vehicles. A reliable car with excellent steering and cornering qualities, it was the first all-British car to pass the one million mark in sales; surviving models are still cherished by owners and collectors. In March 1957 Lord asked (more likely told, as Lord did not do asking) Issigonis to come up with something to compete with them. His stubbornness, I would say, had more in common with Ford starting production of the T, when everyone was telling him to make expensive cars because they were more profitable. The car was launched at the 1948 London Motor Show, alongside the Land Rover and Jaguar XK120, and the rest is pure CC history. Noch ein Mini! A GLIMPSE INTO THE LIFE OF THE MINI FOUNDER. Enter the length or pattern for better results. Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis was born into the Greek city of Smyrna (now zmir) in the Ottoman Empire. Indeed gay sex was illegal in the UK until 1968 and for many years after prejudice was rife. On a cheerier note, Id love to see that Alvin on the flesh. When Alvis cancelled the project, Issigonis was invited by BMC Chairman Sir Leonard Lord to return to BMC at Longbridge, as Chief Body and Chassis engineer, and reporting to BMC Technical Director Sydney Smith. Enter a Crossword Clue Sort by Length I appreciate the research the depth and the smooth writing style to present it all in a gripping way.

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