Issigonis: The Official Biography

Sir Alec Issigonis lived his life in parallel with the rise and decline of the British motor industry, becoming its first and only celebrity. He was the designer of the Morris Minor and the Mini, two of the most important British car designs of the 20th century, one of which - the Mini - became a national icon. This is the first definitive account of Issigonis’ colourful life.

The book begins with Issigonis’ childhood in cosmopolitan Smyrna, the family’s flight to Malta as refugees after Smyrna’s destruction by the Turks, and his arrival in England as a young man, where he developed his skills as a designer through building and racing hill-climb cars. It describes the Morris Minor and Mini projects, and the workings of his close-knit team. It also brings to life the glamorous world of motor sport into which he was ushered by his new fame and the phenomenal success of the Mini Cooper. Finally, the book charts his fall from grace as his autocratic approach to design became deeply unpopular in the conglomerate-dominated 1970s.

Beautifully presented, including dozens of photographs, as well as many of Issigonis’ original design sketches, this is an absorbing account of this gifted but enigmatic man.