alec issigonis family

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) [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. Address 8050 Alec Issigonis Way, Oxford Business Park North, Oxford, OX4 2HW. By 1941, Issigonis had started work on an advanced post war car, then codenamed Mosquito, which became the Morris Minor. Probably 30 of these made over the past dozen years, not quite Mini production numbers.. Another excellent piece Roger, and thank you for bringing it to us. Getting a guy like Issigonis to design a V8 saloon and just chucking it in the bin. He was reluctant to consider features such as large boots or hatchbacks, or engine access, as important. 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. Sketch by the late Sir Alec Issigonis, of the original Morris Minor, circa 1946. Birth Name: Alec Issigonis Occupation: Entrepreneur Place Of Birth: Turkey Date Of Birth: November 18, 1906 Date Of Death: October 2, 1988 Cause Of Death: N/A Ethnicity: Unknown Nationality: Greek Alec Issigonis was born on the 18th of November, 1906. I got to drive his Red mini when I went for fish and chips on a Friday. 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. His grandfather Demosthenis Issigonis . It was apparent to Morriss senior managers that Issigonis was cut from a different cloth compared to his contemporaries. A truly fascinating man he was. He lived with his mother to whom he was devoted, until her death in 1972, latterly in Edgbaston in Birmingham, in a large bungalow, divided into two wings. 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. If so, that would seem vindictive on Days part. The AROnline development story tells the tale of how this small car changed the way we looked at economy cars almost overnight. The lower picture is is an early (1958) Issigonis drawing of his vision for the Mini. Proslavil se zejmna nvrhem vozu Mini, kter uvedla na trh British Motor Corporation v . Sir Alecs design which we built won the design centre award. So Sir Alec Issigonis had an impact on my life. Innovative. Suffice to say it was an ambitious project for a family of compact cars - the smaller of the pair shorter overall than . The loss of British sovereignty led not only to a political defeat but also to an oil crisis. There was a good reason for BMC selecting him for this task, for Issigonis was born in Izmir. BL were in thrall of the myth theyd created, but the buying public had much more sense. Another Mini! Post FROM OUR MIDLAND CORRESPONDENT BIRMINGHAM, Nov. 13 The name of the man who will head the British Motor Corporations new amalgamated design unit when []. Alec Issigonis nasceu na Turquia Filho de um grego naturalizado britnico casado com uma turca. Sir Alec Constantine Issigonis, born in Smyrna, Ottoman Empire on November 18, 1906, is famous for designing the beloved Mini Cooper motor car. A family that . From 1925-1928 he studied engineering at Battersea Polytechnic in London. Its practicality and affordability made it immediately popular; by the time of Issigonis death more than five million had been sold. On October 2, 1988, he passed . In 1968, he was appointed as Director of Advanced Research of the newly formed British Leyland, and Harry Webster from Triumph became BLMCs Engineering Director. Beyond the Maxi, launched on 1969, Issigonis had left little visible influence on the new cars coming from British Leyland, and indeed, the company made definite moves that would have been unthinkable to him, such as the bold, deliberately contemporary styling of the Austin-Morris 18-22 (Princess range) or the Allegro, or the conservative engineering of the Morris Marina. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alec-Issigonis. ALEC ISSIGONIS Automotive Designer (1906-1988) One of the most original car designers of the modern era, ALEC ISSIGONIS (1906-1988) is best known as the creator of the Mini, but also designed two more of the five best-selling cars in British motoring history - the Morris Minor and the Austin 1100. . He was knighted in 1969 and was honored by the city of Oxford with a street named after him, Alec Issigonis Way. Alec Issigonis 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. O interesse pelo automvel veio aos 12 anos, quando ele viu um pela primeira vez. Constantine studied in England. BMC had internally identified the need to move on from the concepts behind the Minor and A30, leaving behind the classic front engine, semi-elliptic spring concept but there was little clarity on which direction was perceived to be the way to go. His family had to flee Smyrne to es- cape the genocide of 1922 by the Turks. His retirement gift from the company was the largest available Meccano set, complete with a steam engine. 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. : Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis , CBE, FRS, RDI 19061118-1988102 . Having been a passenger in an early Austin Landcrab on several occasions I can confirm they are amazingly spacious inside, front and rear. [3][6] His father died shortly after and Issigonis and his mother moved to the United Kingdom in 1923. Therefore, when Alec's father, Constantine Issigonis, was born in Smyrna in 1872, he was also a British national. He continued to be responsible for his original XC projects. He failed his degree course but gained a diploma in Mechanical Engineering, at the third attempt, in 1928. 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. Indeed gay sex was illegal in the UK until 1968 and for many years after prejudice was rife. However, at the end of 1956, following fuel rationing brought about by the Suez Crisis, Issigonis was ordered by Lord to bring the smaller car, XC/9003, to production as quickly as possible. He attended Londons Battersea Polytechnic before entering the University of London External Programme. He convinced Issigonis to ready the Mini for the Rallye Monte Carlo. Sir Alec Issigonis, in full Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis, (born Nov. 18, 1906, Smyrna [now zmir], Tur.died Oct. 2, 1988, Birmingham, Eng. Joseph Lowrey, MOTOR: As soon [], Mr Alec Issigoniss New B.M.C. 41 Copy quote. He became the engineering director of the British Motor Corporation in 1964, and was . 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. Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Death and commemorations 4 Some of his cars All I know is, which car I would rather be in driving if there was any tricky situation [], DAILY MIRROR By Richard Sear No man looks less designed to start off the cult of the miniature. Vic Oak and Reginald Hanks, Morriss Managing Director did though, arranging a 50% salary increase for Issigonis in April 1948, to 1500 per year. As such he was of the generation who experienced the privations of two apocalyptic world wars. In 1956, the focus was shifted towards a new economy car and from here, the Mini was born in 1959. Issigonis returned to BMC to design a range of family vehicles. 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. Moultons hydrolastic suspension as installed on the BMC ADO16 by Issigonis. Learn how your comment data is processed. They paid him to design a tractor safety cab after their own designers had 3 attempts and we built 3 failures. Issigonis was giving punters what they needed, rather than what they wanted. Kereta rekaannya, BMC Mini dilancarkan dalam tahun 1959. By early 1957, prototypes were running, and by mid-1957 the project was given an official drawing office project number (ADO15) so that the thousands of drawings required for production could be produced. The war prevented this design from going into production but it was later used on the MG Y-type. Whos the richest Entrepreneur in the world? There he developed the Morris Minor, which remained in production from 1948 to 1971. Issigonis designed the most enduring small cars of the twentieth century, the Morris Minor (1948) and the Mini (1959) - a testament to his insistence that 'styled' cars dated quickly. Issigonis studied engineering at Battersea Polytechnic in London. Alec Issigonis. The relationship got to the point where Issigonis had the ideas, did the sketches and Daniels did the formal drawings. He inherited his great interest in technology and machines from his father who, shortly after the turn . Morris Minor 1000s , Dropheads, Travelers , Panel Van, and Pick up trucks. [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. I wanted to know the genesis. Issigonis was born on 18 November 1906 in the Ottoman port city of Smyrna, the only child of Constantine Issigonis and Hulda Prokopp. (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. Alec Issigonis It is much easier to drive without having an accident. Back the early 2,000 B.C. [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. 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. He didnt give a damn about the poor sods who had to work on his cars. I saw that same car several times, so, at least in nice weather, it apparently was a daily driver. Twitter; . 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. 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. Demosthenis acquired British nationality through the work he did for the British-built Smyrna-Aydin Railway. It really showed up typical RWD cars of the time as being great space-wasters. Zodiac Sign: Alec Issigonis was a Scorpio. [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). Look what happened to Alan Turing. At the age of 30 he worked for the Morris Engineering Department and celebrated his first success with the construction of the Morris Minor. Alec Issigonis's mother was German, and it was on her side of the family that he was a first cousin once removed to automobile engineer and executive manager Bernd Pischetsrieder. This car was remarkably light, weighing less than 600lb. The third front wheel drive car from BMC was the 1964 ADO17 Austin 1800 (or Landcrab), a car which Issigonis has been quoted as identifying as the design he was most proud of, and then the Austin Maxi in 1969 with less successful results. Alec Issigonis An expert is someone who tells you why you can't do something. During 1956 Issigonis concentrated on the larger two cars, producing several prototypes for testing. Enter your username or email to reset your password. Nearly $1900 was pretty stiff pricing for a car that size in the mid 60s, $150 more than a Bug. And I myself have engineered a few things with the help of Jack Daniels . 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. I thought I knew everything about Issigonis already, but there were some fascinating insights here. Issigonis was to use Moultons suspension ideas on all his future cars, with Moulton working in a consultancy capacity to BMC. Issigonis was knighted in 1968, 1955 Morris Minor: Britains Favorite Car Bar None, And Rightly So, Austin Seven (Mini): The Future Started Here. The Atwell-Wilson Motor Museum is now home to the Issigonis Prototype 1970 Mini 9X 'Gearless', donated to the Museum by the Heritage Motor Centre at Gaydon, Warwickshire. 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. Great write about a very clever guy, but he was wrong an uncomfortable driver is an irritable driver who fatigues rather more quickly, The Landcrab while being comfortable to ride in as a passenger is not so nice to drive nor are the smaller cars from BMC, there are many surviving ADO16s here and NZ is still the Morris Minor capital of the world they will never become rare here and for that matter neither will real Minis but 1800s and Maxis are quite thin on the ground already yet were popular new they werent very durable though, and the last Princess Ive seen is a rusty example outside the British car museum at Te Awanga, Personally having driven all his ideas the Morris Minor was his best one that saw production, I got my first car licence in a Morry Thou. The challenge of designing the Mini was engineering a car that would seat four passengers and their luggage in a package not to exceed ten feet in length. His father was a successful shipbuilding engineer, whose own father was from the Greek island, Paros. He remained on the BL books as a consultant until 1988, shortly before his death. Daniels (right) and Sheppard (left), no doubt, had to smooth a few ruffled feathers on the way. Striving to ensure that as much space as possible was allocated to the passengers, Issigonis used Moultons compact rubber suspension and had Dunlop build 10 inch wheels and tyres just for the Mini purely for reasons of space efficiency. However, his story proves: never give up your dreams even if life puts obstacles in your way. People of this zodiac sign like truth, being right, longtime friends, teasing, and dislike dishonesty, revealing secrets, passive people. Diz lenda que ele considerava a rigidez . Due to time pressures, the interconnected suspension system that Issigonis had planned for the car was replaced by an equally novel, but cruder, rubber cone system designed by Alex Moulton. Alec is also well known as, British car designer best remembered for his work on the development of the iconic Mini. Looking at the Minor or the Mini, I can believe that. I had a book about Issigonis, but its lost. 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. It did get Hydrolastic eventually, then lose it again. Updates? Alec Issigonis was already known for his popular and respected Morris Minor. A more powerful engine, bigger brakes and a few tuning tweaks later, the Classic Mini Cooper 997 was introduced. I do not know how many I have owned Morrises, Austins and MGs. Issigonis was born on 18 November 1906 in the Ottoman port city of Smyrna, the only child of Constantine Issigonis and Hulda Prokopp. . Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. In August 1971, Issigonis drove the 2 millionth ADO16 off the line, as the same time as a Mini Clubman, which was the 5 millionth front wheel drive BMC car, came off the line in the next building. 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. Alternate titles: Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis. I remember the Austin America when new, not an impressive car to me in any way . [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. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. When we stopped sending children up chimneys we reemployed them to work or minis. Mr. Front-Wheel Drive: Sir Alec Issigonis . Maybe it takes that sort of single-mindedness, bordering on obsession, to create something different, get it into production in spite of obstacles and naysayers, and make it a success. Enter the length or pattern for better results. The end of the agreement came in 1986, when Issigonis wrote directly to Graham Day, BLs then new Chairman. By 1945, a full scale static prototype close to the familiar production form was completed. His iconoclasm ensured that, despite the constraints of working in an industry where the size and complexity of the process meant that even the most forceful of designers was only one member of a large team, Issigonis cars bore his own stamp from the 1948 Morris Minor to the 1969 Maxi. Designer Alec Issigonis was born in the southern Anatolian city of Smyrna in 1906. John Sheppard spent 20 years working with [], Richard Aucock 40 years ago this month, Sir Alec Issigonis, creator of Britains best-selling motoring icons, retired The creator of the original Mini, the Morris Minor, the Austin Maxi and [], Motor magazine, August 1962 WHY IS THE ADO16? Alexander Issigonis was born into the Greek community of Smyrna (now Izmir) in Ottoman Turkey. As a Morris Minor owner I appreciated it . By October 1957, Issigonis had shown Lord a working prototype and the decision had been made to manufacture the car, using the existing BMC A series engine. John Daly, Your email address will not be published. Issigonis's mother, Hulda Prokopp, was descended from a Bavarian brewing family who had settled in Smyrna, and established a brewery. The Minor was, of course, a huge success, for Nuffield and for Issigonis. Sixty years ago today . On the right is Alec Issigonis and standing next to him is John Cooper. On a cheerier note, Id love to see that Alvin on the flesh. . His father, however, did not survive the crossing. People born under this sign are seen as warm-hearted and easygoing. The childhood . https://www.mini.com/ Later, he was working on an independent suspension for the larger Humber Hawk, with another rising star in the industry, Bill Heynes. George Harriman, Leonard Lord and Alec Issogonis. Speaking of steering, one of the earlier reviews of the Mini contained the sentence, This is the first car Ive driven that caused me to laugh out loud just going around a corner ! Or words to that effect . This was the man who persisted in pursuing a gearless car using only a torque converter, who rubbished CAD in favour of slide rules, who did most of his designs in rough and passed them to his acolytes to make real. The image his cars achieved for BMC was arguably a factor in the survival of the company in the market place, and BMC used his personality extensively in advertising whichyou can imagine Issigonis publicly hating but privately loving. Noch ein Mini! [5]:277. German Engineer Who Designed And Built The First Practical Automobile (Crossword ClueThe crossword clue German engineer who designed and built the first practical automobile. 18 November 1906 2 October 1988", Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society, " Alec Issigonis | Automotive Hall of Fame", Alec Issigonis Automotive Designer (19061988), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alec_Issigonis&oldid=1135124708, This page was last edited on 22 January 2023, at 19:54. He died in October 1988, aged 82. We now call them Real Minis, to distinguish them from the post 2001 imitations. Alec Issigoniss mothers name is unknown at this time and his fathers name is under review. Alec Issigonis (Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis) was born in Smyrna in the Ottoman Empire (now Izmir, Turkey). Morris 1100. I think you can see a narrower car in one of the pre-production photos, above. This car was remarkably light, weighing 587lb, of which the engine contributed 252lb. 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 . [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. Meanwhile, back at the office, Issigonis had devised an independent coil spring system for the first unitary construction Morris, the 1938 Ten, but which did not go into production as Morris, conservative as ever, chose a more conventional and cheaper beam axle solution. I witnessed blowing head gaskets, torn manifold studs and much more and found out that taking the engine out first was the quickest access for any of these repairs! Alec Issigonis was a Scorpio and was born in the G.I. Discover what happened on this day. Therefore some functionality is missing. An image from the 1964 Racing Car Show in the aftermath of the Mini's first Monte Carlo Rally win. The Automotive Hall of Fame. Youre right about maintenance. Constantine was very proud of his British citizenship and Alec grew up in a traditional British type of household. He was popular for being a Entrepreneur. How about an uncomfortable driver is a distracted driver? Issigonis's own automotive career as a designer and engineer in England first took shape during the early 1930s when he began working for the vehicle manufacturer . It did not have everything Issigonis wanted, as he originally planned this car to have a V4 engine rather than the BMC A series. Joseph Lowrey, [], The Mini hit its big landmark in 1969, a seismic year in the history of BMC>Rover. Tragically, Constantine Issigonis contracted a serious illness, and died in Malta in June 1923. This page is updated often with fresh details about Alec Issigonis. Well, he went down in history as the father of the Mini and was even raised to nobility for his services. Ruling Planet: Alec Issigonis had a ruling planet of Pluto and has a ruling planet of Pluto. XC/9002 became ADO16 and was launched as the Morris 1100 with the Hydrolastic interconnected suspension system in August 1962. Issigonis made a grandfather clock from it, which kept good time. Alec Issigonis was born in Turkey. If you see something that doesnt look right, contact us. Upon meeting Alec, she is shy and ashamed . 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. If only it had had more power and better gearing. The initials "G.I." He would attend the usual motor shows, but often would refuse to look in detail at the competition, so he did not become confused. He was knighted in 1969 and was honored by the city of Oxford with a street named after him, Alec Issigonis Way. Chinese Zodiac: Alec Issigonis was born in the Year of the Rabbit. Like many famous people and celebrities, Alec Issigonis kept his personal life private. No wonder Issigonis felt flattered I feel very, very proud that so many people have copied me.. Click the answer to find similar crossword clues . * Commander of the British Empire (1964), Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (1967), Royal Designer for Industry (1964). 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. At the opening of the factory BMC was represented by Sir Alec Issigonis. Even more significantly, it effectively defined the configuration of the small and medium car for the next 50 years. Fascinating lost papers from the man who created the Mini and the. . But there were other 20th century cataclysms that he lived and worked through as a designer - including the Suez crisis of 1956. At the end of 1955, Issigonis moved to BMC to head up the development of the corporations new family of cars. Issigonis designed a unitary construction saloon and the V8 engine, and utilised Moultons latest interconnected rubber suspension. Stokes was heard on his appointment to say: "We'll sharp sort this bloke Issigonis out!". 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. . During this time he started to build a special sprint racer with a friend. This undated sketch by Issigonis shows some of this. Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis, CBE, FRS (18 November 1906-2 October 1988) was a Greek-British designer of cars, now remembered chiefly for the groundbreaking and influential development of the Mini, launched by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) in 1959. Moulton was a scion of the family behind the Avon tyres company and a respected suspension system engineer in his own right who had worked extensively on the concept of rubber as a suspension medium, before working on the hydrolastic and later still the hydragas systems. Most events he entered were sprints and hillclimbs, but he also competed in some circuit races. The war years were spent. He didnt say by 1974 in regard to VW and Renault. The family is almost penniless. His little cars were a success despite him. 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 a remarkable engineer and obviously made his mark. For his accomplishments, Queen Elizabeth knighted Issigonis in 1969. He was a race car driver during the 30s and 40s. 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. It was still in production when BMW, led by Bernd Pischetsreider, bought Rover in 1994. He was born on November 18, 1906 and his birthplace is Turkey. 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. . The change was not handled well though, with credible accounts of a literally tearful Issigonis wandering around Longbridge trying to find a new office after returning from abroad to find Webster occupying his office. Issigonis had also been involved in the larger Oxford, Isis and Wolseley ranges. Issigonis (standing) with the special at Shelsey Walsh hillclimb. The Austin/Morris Mini was Thanks for the great article. The gearbox sharing the sump oil worked ok, but the transmission absolutely pulverised the lubricating qualities out of the oil, and it really required changing every 3000 miles if you wanted the thing to last. 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. Despite its stated mission being to provide basic transport, this level of driving enjoyment, and capability, was like a non stop Christmas present. People over the road from us had a Wolseley Six (top of the range Landcrab) when we were kids. He was retired from British Leyland in 1971, memorably being given a Meccano kit for his leaving present. He pressed the case, again, for the gearless 9X, complained about electronics in cars, designers using CAD systems and not slide rules, and changes in the model designations of the existing Mini. His mother was from Bavaria. I hope he knew that he changed the Automobile World for the better. Alec Issigonis is a famous Entrepreneur. 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. The boxy, inexpensive, fuel-efficient Mini used a transverse engine to power its front wheelsa radical design at the timeand thus could comfortably seat four passengers despite being only 10 feet (3 m) long.