User:Allspig/Alec Issigonis

亞歷克·伊斯哥尼斯 （Alec Issigonis）
出生	亞歷克·阿諾·康斯坦丁·伊斯哥尼斯 (1906-11-18)1906年11月18日 奧斯曼帝國士麥那（現伊茲密爾）
逝世	1988年10月2日(1988歲—10—02)（81歲） 聯合王國英格蘭伯明罕 艾格巴斯頓（Edgbaston）
职业	汽車設計師

亞歷山大·阿諾·康斯坦丁·伊斯哥尼斯爵士（Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis），CBE，FRS（1906年11月18日–1988年10月2日）是一位希臘裔英國汽車設計師，他以發展出極具影響力的革命性車款迷你（Mini）而被稱為「迷你之父」。這款車自1959年起由英國汽車公司（BMC） 生產。

早年生活

在這張1910年公司信函上可看見由亞歷克·伊斯哥尼斯的祖父德莫斯坦尼斯·伊斯哥尼斯所建立的工廠，這家工廠為當時興盛於士麥那（現伊茲密爾）的希臘企業之一。

伊斯哥尼斯出生於奧斯曼帝國士麥那（現伊茲密爾）的一個希臘人社區。他的祖父德莫斯坦尼斯·伊斯哥尼斯（Demosthenis Issigonis）於1830年代自帕羅斯島移民至士麥那，他所建立的工程公司協助大英帝國興建士麥那－艾伊甸鐵路（Smyrna-Aydın Railway），因此而獲得英國國籍。德莫斯坦尼斯的兒子、亞歷克的父親康斯坦丁·伊斯哥尼斯（Constantine Issigonis）於1872年在士麥那出生。同樣擁有英國國籍的康斯坦丁在英國讀書，他也將自己對英國一切事物的喜愛都傳承至他的兒子亞歷克身上去。亞歷克的母親胡爾達·普洛科普（Hulda Prokopp）的家族源自符騰堡（現屬德國），正由於她的血緣關係，亞歷克·伊斯哥尼斯與曾任寶馬和大眾汽車總監的伯恩特·畢舍茨列達（Bernd Pischetsrieder）是遠房兄弟。

希土戰爭（1919年至1922年）後期，士麥那發生大火（Great Fire of Smyrna），稍後土耳其更重新佔據了士麥那。由於亞歷克和父母一家是英國國民，所以他們早於1922年9月就由英國皇家海軍陸戰隊撤離到馬爾他。同年，父親康斯坦丁·伊斯哥尼斯離世，亞歷克與母親於次年返回英國。他在倫敦薩里大學的前身巴特西理工學院（Battersea Polytechnic）修讀工程學，在三次數學考試都不合格後，他稱純粹數學為「每位創作天才的敵人」。亞歷克隨後修讀倫敦大學校外課程（現倫敦大學國際課程），以完成大學學業。

事業

1930至1940年代，亞歷克·伊斯哥尼斯正式進入汽車行業，他成為了漢博汽車（Humber）的汽車工程師及設計師，另外又在賽車方面取得成功。 1930年左右，他駕駛一輛增壓「阿爾斯特」（"Ulster"）奧斯汀7型（Austin Seven）參賽，又為汽車安裝一支自己設計的前軸，結果令奧斯汀公司聘用了他。這輛經大幅改造的汽車was replaced with a radical special completed in 1939, 以外鍍鋁片的層夾板。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. This car was remarkably light, weighing 587 lb, of which the engine contributed 252 lb. By the time the chassis had been completed (hard labour - it was all done by hand, no power tools), Issigonis had moved to Morris Motors LImited, but Austin supplied a "works" specification supercharged side-valve engine. Issigonis usually won, even when entered in the 1100cc class if there was no 750cc category. Most events entered were sprints, but he also raced at circuits.

Mini as a British Icon

In 1936, he moved to Morris Motors Limited at Cowley working on an independent front suspension system for the Morris 10. The war prevented this design from going into production but it was later used on the MG Y-type. He worked on various projects for Morris through the war and towards its end started work on an advanced post war car codenamed Mosquito that became the Morris Minor, which was produced from 1948 until 1971. In 1952, just as 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. This prototype was never manufactured because its cost was beyond Alvis' resources.

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. 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 - for a small town car. During 1956 Issigonis concentrated on the larger two cars, producing several prototypes for testing.

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. 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. In August 1959 the car was launched as the Morris Mini Minor and the Austin Seven, which soon became known as the Austin Mini. In later years, the car would become known simply as the Mini. 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. The Mini went on to become the best selling British car in history with a production run of 5.3 million cars. 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.

In 1961, with the Mini gaining popularity, Issigonis was promoted to Technical Director of BMC. He continued to be responsible for his original XC projects. XC/9002 became ADO16 and was launched as the Morris 1100 with the Hydrolastic interconnected suspension system in August 1962. 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. It certainly appeared by the Maxi development era that Issigonis wanted to "do his own thing" as cost cutting and development costs spiraled. He would instead research work on his Mini replacement the 9X with its compact transverse engine. 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). Stokes was heard on his appointment to say: "We'll sharp sort this bloke Issigonis out!".

Morris Minor

1969 Austin mini seven

Morris Minor 1000

Issigonis (nicknamed "The Greek god" by his contemporaries) was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1967 and was awarded a knighthood in 1969. 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. 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.

Sir Alec officially retired from the motor industry in 1971, although he continued working until shortly before his death.

Death and commemorations

Some of the Minis at the Issigonis centenary rally

He died in 1988 at his house in Edgbaston, Birmingham, and was cremated at the Lodge Hill Crematorium in nearby Selly Oak.

On 15 October 2006 a rally was held at the Heritage Motor Centre in Gaydon, England, to celebrate the centenary of Sir Alec's birth.

There is a road named "Alec Issigonis Way" in Oxford Business Park on the former site of the Morris Motors factory in Cowley, Oxford.

Some of his cars

See also Category:Issigonis vehicles

• 1948 Morris Minor
• 1959 Morris Mini
• 1962 BMC ADO16
• 1964 BMC ADO17
• 1969 Austin Maxi

References

• Gillian Bardsley. Issigonis: The Official Biography. Icon Books. 2005. ISBN 1-84046-687-1. 
• Wood, Jonathan. Alec Issigonis: The Man Who Made the Mini. Breedon Books Publishing. 2005. ISBN 1-85983-449-3. 
• Nahum, Andrew. Alec Issigonis (Modern European Designers Series). Hyperion Books. 1988. ISBN 0-85072-172-5. 
• Bolster, John. Specials. GT Foulis & Co. 1949. 

External links

• Alec Issigonis Automotive Designer (1906–1988) from the Design Museum in London
• Portraits of Alec Issigonis from the National Portrait Gallery (London)