In the first of our new Game Changer series, we examine the history of the automotive design genius that was Sir Alec Issigonis
Early 20th Century Turkey probably wasn’t the place to go looking for gifted automotive designers, so it was fortunate that, at age 17, Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis had his life changed by a move to Britain.
Issigonis trained as an engineer then worked for Humber. He also raced an Austin Seven with a front axle of his own design, leading to the offer of a job with Austin.
A move to Morris then followed, with Issigonis part of a team working on independent front suspension for the Morris Ten. World War 2 interrupted and brought a move for Issigonis to the Mosquito project; a design that would become the immensely popular Morris Minor.
Creation of the British Motor Corporation brought co-operation rather than competition between Austin and Morris, and Issigonis’ next assignment was to design a series of passenger models that would manifest as the Austin 1800, Morris 1100 and BMC Mini.
A blockade of the Suez Canal during 1957 caused fuel shortages and heightened demand for light, fuel-efficient cars. Issigionis had on his drawing board at the time a compact, space-efficient two-door sedan with its 848cc engine mounted above the gearbox and driving through the front wheels.
Released in 1959, the Mini was marketed as a Morris Mini Minor or Austin Seven (the spirit of co-operation not extending to amalgamated dealer networks), but nobody wanted a car that borrowed its name from the 1920s and the two quickly became known as Austin or Morris Minis.
In basic form, a Mini 850 sedan weighed 580kg and measured 3048mm long. Its single carburettor engine produced 27.5kW and top speed was 116km/h.
While designing the car, Issigonis incorporated a range of cost and weight saving measures which also contributed to practicality.
The seats were wide enough to accommodate four adults and rubber cone suspension ensured that springs didn’t limit rear seat width or boot space. The boot was tiny but its lid hinged at the base and could be propped open as a luggage platform.
The dashboard was nothing more than a full-width parcel shelf with the speedometer and fuel gauge stuck in the middle. The doors incorporated deep storage bins as well, made possible because early versions of the Mini had sliding, not winding, windows.
Issigonis wasn’t overly interested in the Mini’s competition potential and moved on to his next project; the ADO16/1100 series with its clever but compromised Hydrolastic fluid suspension.
That left Formula 1 team owner John Cooper with the opportunity to improve on Issigonis’ Mini with upgrades that included larger engines, twin carburettors and disc front brakes. Cooper S versions built in Australia pioneered the use of twin fuel tanks, which gave the cars a range of 600km.
Alec Issigonis received a Knighthood in 1969 for services to the automotive industry and died in 1988, aged 81. However, he would probably been more gratified by his admission, in 2003, to the US-based Automotive Hall of Fame.
During interviews following his retirement, Issigonis said he would prefer to be remembered not just as the designer of the Mini but for all of his work, including the 1800 and Morris Minor.
Of course, while the original Mini was produced between 1959 and 2000, the first new-generation MINI hatch was launched in late 2000, followed by the Convertible (2004), the Clubman wagon (2007), Countryman SUV (2010), Coupe (2011), Roadster (2012) and five-door hatch (2014).
Keyword: Game Changer: The man who made the Mini