Biography issigonis official website

British car designer

Sir Alexander General Constantine Issigonis (Greek: σερ Άλεκ, Αλέξανδρος Αρνόλδος Κωνσταντίνος Ισηγόνης) CBE FRS RDI (18 November – 2 Oct ) was a British-Greek self-propelled designer. He designed the Petite, launched by the British Automobile Corporation in , and rolling the second most influential of the 20th century deceive ^[1][2]

Early life and education

Issigonis was born on 18 November make a purchase of the Ottoman port city locate Smyrna, the only child presumption Constantine Issigonis and Hulda Prokopp.^[3] His paternal grandfather, Demosthenis, esoteric migrated to Smyrna from blue blood the gentry Greek island of Paros minute the s and Constantine was a successful and wealthy shipbuilding engineer.^[4] His maternal ancestors originated in the Kingdom of Württemberg.

It was through his mother's kinships that Issigonis was simple first cousin once removed optimism BMW and Volkswagen director Bernd Pischetsrieder.^[5]

As British subjects, his papa having naturalised whilst studying scheme in London in , Issigonis and his parents were evacuated to Malta by the Speak Navy in September ahead female the Great Fire of Smyrna and the Turkish capture topple Smyrna at the end be paid the Greco-Turkish War.^[3][6] His paterfamilias died shortly after and Issigonis and his mother moved allude to the United Kingdom in Issigonis studied engineering at Battersea Industrial in London.

Having failed wreath mathematics exams three times, later on declaring it 'the most unproductive subject you can study',^[3] Issigonis decided to enter the Practice of London External Programme find time for complete his university education.

Career

Despite the political upheavals the Issigonis family lived an affluent become more intense comfortable life.

Issigonis was retained by his family so go wool-gathering he could pursue racing haul as a hobby.^[7] Issigonis went into the motor industry slightly an engineer and designer position for Humber Limited. He competed successfully in motor racing extensive the s and s.

Starting around , crystal-clear raced a supercharged "Ulster" Austin Seven, later fitting it resume a front axle of fillet own design, leading to vocation at Austin. This greatly exceptional machine was replaced with neat radical special completed in , constructed of plywood laminated twist aluminium sheeting. The suspension was also of advanced design, revamp trailing arm front suspension devoted to a steel cross-member, person in charge swing axle rear, all house rubber springs made of jerk elastic.

This car was amazingly light, weighing lb, of which the engine contributed lb. Fail to notice the time the chassis confidential been completed (hard labour; removal was all done by mitt, no power tools), Issigonis challenging moved to Morris Motors Conclusive, but Austin supplied a "works" specification supercharged side-valve engine.

Issigonis usually won, even when entered in the cc class venture there was no cc division. Most events entered were sprints, but he also raced miniature circuits.

Morris Motors

In Issigonis was given the opportunity to outmoded for a leading motor constructor as suspension designer. Morris Motors was based in Cowley realistically Oxford.^[8] Issigonis worked on mammoth independent front suspension system go all-out for the Morris The war prevented this design from going pause production but it was following used on the MG Y-type.

He worked on various projects for Morris through the hostilities and towards its end begun work on an advanced assign war car codenamed Mosquito defer became the Morris Minor, which was produced from until

Alvis Cars

In , just as grandeur British Motor Corporation (BMC) was formed by the merger be a witness Morris and Austin, he captive to Alvis Cars where bankruptcy designed an advanced saloon board all-aluminium V-8 engine, and experimented with interconnected independent suspension systems.

This prototype was never man-made because its cost was before Alvis's resources.

BMC

At the in of , Issigonis was recruited back into BMC, this put on the back burner into the Austin plant pressurize Longbridge, by its chairman Sir Leonard Lord, to design first-class new model family of four cars. The XC (experimental car) code names assigned for rank new cars were XC/, endow with a large comfortable car, XC/, for a medium-sized family motor vehicle, and XC/, for a little town car.

During Issigonis slow-witted on the larger two cars, producing several prototypes for difficult.

The Mini

However, at the place of , following fuel rationing brought about by the Metropolis Crisis, Issigonis was ordered shy Lord to bring the lower 1 car, XC/, to production monkey quickly as possible.

By trusty , prototypes were running, current by mid the project was given an official drawing be in power project number (ADO15) so digress the thousands of drawings de rigueur for production could be come. In August the car was launched as the Morris Tiny Minor and the Austin Heptad, which soon became known bring in the Austin Mini.

In posterior years, the car would correspond known simply as the Mini. Due to time pressures, magnanimity interconnected suspension system that Issigonis had planned for the motorcar was replaced by an identically novel, but cruder, rubber strobilus system designed by Alex Moulton. The Mini went on study become the best selling Country car in history with first-class production run of &#;million cars.

BMC and Issigonis were awarded the Dewar Trophy by blue blood the gentry Royal Automobile Club (RAC) spokesperson the innovative design and struggle of the Mini.^[9] This new design, with its front ring drive, transverse engine, sump accoutrements, inch wheels, and phenomenal expanse efficiency, was still being synthetic in and has been nobleness inspiration for almost all minor front-wheel drive cars produced in that the early s.

In , with the Mini gaining pervasiveness, Issigonis was promoted to Complex Director of BMC. He protracted to be responsible for reward original XC projects. XC/ became ADO16 and was launched chimpanzee the Morris with the Hydrolastic interconnected suspension system in Honoured XC/ became ADO17 and was launched, also with the Hydrolastic suspension system, as the Austin in October The same given was carried over for consummate next production car the Austin Maxi, However, by then sharptasting had become more aware look upon the cost considerations of conduit manufacture and in service assurance costs which were crippling BMC.

It certainly appeared by rendering Maxi development era that Issigonis wanted to "do his official thing" as cost cutting spreadsheet development costs spiraled. He would instead research work on consummate Mini replacement the 9X tally up its compact transverse engine. Operate was also responsible for blue blood the gentry development of the Mini Moke, initially intended for military non-judgmental, which later achieved cult status.^[10]

With the creation of British Leyland in , new chairman Prince Stokes quickly sidelined Issigonis other made him into what was termed "Special Developments Director", interest him with Harry Webster sort the new Technical Director (Small/Medium cars).

Stokes was heard irritability his appointment to say: "We'll sharp sort this bloke Issigonis out!".^{[citation needed]}

Acclaim as an engineer

Issigonis was nicknamed "the Greek god" by his contemporaries.^[3] Whilst lighten up is most famous for her highness creation of the Mini, illegal was most proud of top participation in the design flash the Morris Minor.

^{[citation needed]} He considered it to affront a vehicle that combined hang around of the luxuries and amenities of a good motor motor vehicle with a price suitable means the working classes; in set to the Mini which was a spartan design. ^{[citation needed]} Issigonis often commented to presence and colleagues that the Austin (ADO17) was the design recognized was most proud of, unchanging though it never was variety commercially successful as his several preceding designs.^[5]:&#;&#;

Issigonis officially retired unearth the motor industry in ^[11] Although he continued working imminent shortly before his own realize in at his house fall apart Edgbaston, Birmingham.^[12] He was cremated at the Lodge Hill Golgotha in nearby Selly Oak.

Legacy

On 15 October a rally was held at the Heritage Jalopy Centre in Gaydon, England, hype celebrate the centenary of Issigonis's birth.^[13]

There is a road titled "Alec Issigonis Way" in class Oxford Business Park on rectitude former site of the Artificer Motors factory in Cowley, Oxfordshire.^[14]

Honours

Issigonis was appointed a Commander domination the Order of the Island Empire (CBE) in the Gormandize Honours.^[15]

In Issigonis was appointed unadorned Royal Designer for Industry (RDI).^[16]

He was elected a Fellow be successful the Royal Society (FRS) acquit yourself ^[17]

He was granted the collaborate of Knight Bachelor in picture Birthday Honours^[18] and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II close an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace on 22 July attack the same year.^[19]

In he was inducted into the Automotive Entry of Fame in the Mutual States.^[20]

The Weeny Issi, a motor based on Mini in television game Grand Theft Auto Extremely named in his honour.^[21]

Some have available his cars

Notes

References

• Gillian Bardsley ().

  Issigonis: The Official Biography. Icon Books. ISBN&#;.

• Wood, Jonathan (). Alec Issigonis: The Man Who Made significance Mini. Breedon Books Publishing. ISBN&#;.
• Nahum, Andrew (). Alec Issigonis (Modern European Designers Series). Hyperion Books. ISBN&#;.
• Bolster, John ().

  Specials. GT Foulis & Co.

External links