Editing Alec Issigonis (section)

== Career ==
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Despite the political upheavals the Issigonis family lived an affluent and comfortable life. Issigonis was maintained by his family so that he could pursue racing sport as a hobby.<ref>{{cite book |title=Mini |author1=Gillian Bardsley |date=2013 |publisher= Bloomsbury Publishing |isbn=9780747814115 |page= }}</ref> Issigonis went into the motor industry as an engineer and designer working for [[Humber Limited]]. He competed successfully in motor racing during the 1930s and 1940s. Starting around 1930, he raced a supercharged "Ulster" [[Austin 7|Austin Seven]], later fitting it with a front axle of his own design, leading to employment at [[Austin Motor Company|Austin]]. This greatly modified machine was replaced with a radical special completed in 1939, constructed of plywood laminated in aluminium sheeting. 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|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.

=== Morris Motors ===
In 1936 Issigonis was given the opportunity to work for a leading motor manufacturer as suspension designer. [[Morris Motors]] was based in Cowley near Oxford.<ref>{{cite book |title=Mini |author1=Gillian Bardsley |date=2013 |publisher= Bloomsbury Publishing |isbn=9780747814115 |page= }}</ref> Issigonis worked 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.

=== Alvis Cars ===
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. This prototype was never manufactured because its cost was beyond Alvis's resources.

=== BMC ===
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.

=== The Mini ===
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&nbsp;million cars. BMC and Issigonis were awarded the [[Dewar Trophy]] by the [[Royal Automobile Club]] (RAC) for the innovative design and production of the Mini.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Dewar Trophy |url=https://www.royalautomobileclub.co.uk/motoring/trophies-and-awards/the-dewar-trophy/ |access-date=2022-10-17 |publisher=Royal Automobile Club }}</ref> 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]]. He was also responsible for the development of the [[Mini Moke]], initially intended for military use, which later achieved cult status.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-12-29 |title=The Genuine MOKE® {{!}} Steer clear of imitations {{!}} Story |url=https://mokeinternational.com/about-us/ |access-date=2022-10-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211229091014/https://mokeinternational.com/about-us/ |archive-date=29 December 2021 }}</ref>

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!".{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}}

=== Acclaim as an engineer ===
Issigonis was nicknamed "the Greek god" by his contemporaries.<ref name="Wood"/> 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. {{Citation needed|reason=reliable source needed, doesn't match information in Issigonis biography by Bardsley, G on p277|date=January 2013}} 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 design. {{Citation needed|reason=reliable source needed for the whole sentence|date=January 2013}} Issigonis often commented to friends and colleagues that the Austin 1800 (ADO17) was the design he was most proud of, even though it never was as commercially successful as his three preceding designs.<ref name="Bardsley"/>{{rp|277}}

Issigonis officially retired from the motor industry in 1971. <ref>{{Cite web|title=The Motor Museum in Miniature|url=https://www.themotormuseuminminiature.co.uk/inv-alec-issigonis.php|publisher=themotormuseuminminiature.co.uk}}</ref> He continued working until shortly before his own death in 1988 at his house in [[Edgbaston]], Birmingham.<ref>{{cite news |title=Père de l'Austin "Mini" Alec Issigonis est mort |trans-title=Father of the Austin "Mini" Alec Issigonis is dead |last=Lamotte |first=Claude |newspaper=[[Le Monde]] |date=6 October 1988 |language=fr |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1988/10/06/pere-de-l-austin-mini-alec-issigonis-est-mort_4092249_1819218.html |access-date=21 June 2020}}</ref> He was cremated at the [[Lodge Hill Cemetery]] in nearby [[Selly Oak]].