用户:Allspig/Alec Issigonis

亚历克·伊斯哥尼斯 （Alec Issigonis）
出生	亚历克·阿诺·康斯坦丁·伊斯哥尼斯 (1906-11-18)1906年11月18日 奥斯曼帝国士麦那（现伊兹密尔）
逝世	1988年10月2日(1988岁—10—02)（81岁） 联合王国英格兰伯明翰 艾格巴斯顿（Edgbaston）
职业	汽车设计师

亚历山大·阿诺·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）是一位希腊裔英国汽车设计师，他以发展出极具影响力的革命性车款迷你（Mini）而被称为“迷你之父”。这款车自1959年起由英国汽车公司（BMC） 生产。

早年生活

在这张1910年公司信函上可看见由亚历克·伊斯哥尼斯的祖父德莫斯坦尼斯·伊斯哥尼斯所建立的工厂，这家工厂为当时兴盛于士麦那（现伊兹密尔）的希腊企业之一。

伊斯哥尼斯出生于奥斯曼帝国士麦那（现伊兹密尔）的一个希腊人社区。他的祖父德莫斯坦尼斯·伊斯哥尼斯（Demosthenis Issigonis）于1830年代自帕罗斯岛移民至士麦那，他所建立的工程公司协助大英帝国兴建士麦那－艾伊甸铁路（Smyrna-Aydın Railway），因此而获得英国国籍。德莫斯坦尼斯的儿子、亚历克的父亲康斯坦丁·伊斯哥尼斯（Constantine Issigonis）于1872年在士麦那出生。同样拥有英国国籍的康斯坦丁在英国读书，他也将自己对英国一切事物的喜爱都传承至他的儿子亚历克身上去。亚历克的母亲胡尔达·普洛科普（Hulda Prokopp）的家族源自符腾堡（现属德国），正由于她的血缘关系，亚历克·伊斯哥尼斯与曾任宝马和大众汽车总监的伯恩特·毕舍茨列达（Bernd Pischetsrieder）是远房兄弟。

希土战争（1919年至1922年）后期，士麦那发生大火（Great Fire of Smyrna），稍后土耳其更重新占据了士麦那。由于亚历克和父母一家是英国国民，所以他们早于1922年9月就由英国皇家海军陆战队撤离到马耳他。同年，父亲康斯坦丁·伊斯哥尼斯离世，亚历克与母亲于次年返回英国。他在伦敦萨里大学的前身巴特西理工学院（Battersea Polytechnic）修读工程学，在三次数学考试都不合格后，他称纯粹数学为“每位创作天才的敌人”。亚历克随后修读伦敦大学校外课程（现伦敦大学国际课程），以完成大学学业。

事业

1930至1940年代，亚历克·伊斯哥尼斯正式进入汽车行业，他成为了汉博汽车（Humber）的汽车工程师及设计师，另外又在赛车方面取得成功。 1930年左右，他驾驶一辆增压“阿尔斯特”（"Ulster"）奥斯汀7型（Austin Seven）参赛，又为汽车安装一支自己设计的前轴，结果令奥斯汀公司聘用了他。这辆经大幅改造的汽车was replaced with a radical special completed in 1939, 以外镀铝片的层夹板。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)