ALEC ISSIGONIS AND HIS CARS

1959 The ADO15 AKA Mini

1962 The ADO16 AKA Austin, Morris, Wolsey, Riley, MG, Vanden Plas 1100. From 1967 a 1300 variant became available.





The ADO16 was conceived as an expanded Mini in 1959. With more time available, BMC were able to design a more refined FWD car with crisp Pininfarina styling. The mechanical layout was Issigonis with Alex Moulton's hydrolastic suspension. Alex Moulton is seen with Issigonis in the second picture. The car was refined by Charles Griffin and this combination produced a sales winner. The ADO16 was incredibly roomy, user friendly and easy to drive, a combination that resulted in it being Britain's best selling car for a decade. The ADO16 was the nearest Britain had to a world car and was built at BMC factories all over the globe. 2-1 Million were manufactured before production ceased in 1974. BLMC replaced it with the Allegro, buyers preferred the VW Golf. The final pic features a Morris 1100 with Lord Nuffield AKA William Morris who died in 1963.
The ADO16 had 12 inch road wheels like post 1984 Mini's. BMC geared their cars so that maximum speed ocurred at peak engine power. The 1098 cc version had a 4.133 final drive and the 1275cc a 3-65 final drive.

In 1964 the Mini and 1100 were joined by the ADO17 Austin 1800. This time the A-series engine could not be used so the larger B-series engine was mounted on top of a stronger gearbox. The ADO17 was intended to be a fwd rival for the fleet buyers favourite, the Ford Cortina. However Alec Issigonis now adopted a more hands on approach and instead of using the 1622 cc B-series engine which would have put it in the Cortina's market sector, Issigonis decided to use the larger 1798 cc version that had been created for the MGB. This meant that the ADO17 missed its intended market slot altogether. When the ADO17 Austin 1800 was unveiled in 1964 it was acclaimed as another Issigonis masterpiece, incredibly roomy especially in the rear, but sales proved dissapointing. For the first 2 years of the cars life it was unreliable and sales never recovered. In addition the Issigonis principle of skinning over the mechanicals as closely as possible did not produce the most stylish of cars. Later Morris and Wolseley versions joined the range. Only 387,283 Landcrabs, as the car was nicknamed, were produced up to 1975.
Here is Alec Issigonis at the 1800's launch in 1964 with Alex Moulton and 1972 pic of the 1800 Mk3.

ADO14 AKA the Austin Maxi launched 1969.
In 1965 BMC realising that they had blundered with the 1800 started developing a FWD 1500 cc car to compete with the Ford Cortina. BMC management stipulated that the car used 1800 doors as an economy measure, which in turn dictated the rake of the windscreen. BMC opted for high technology, the ADO14 would use FWD, 5 doors and a 5 speed gearbox, something that is now normal, but new then. It also used a new 1485 cc E-series engine with siamesed bores, as specified by Alec Issigonis. The Austin Maxi 1500 was launched in May 1969 to underwhelming reviews. The car was underdeveloped, the engine would not rev and the gearchange was appalling. The original Maxi of 1969-70 was frankly a bloody awful car. The damage was done and although Issigonis's replacement Harry Webster did fix most of the cars faults, only 486,273 Maxi's were made. In 1970 a longer stroke 1748cc engine appeared with a rod change gearbox and the car was much improved, and the Maxi's virtues as an incredibly roomy load carrier, with more internal space that the slightly larger Ford Focus, were appreciated by a steady trickle of private buyers. Production of the Maxi ended in 1981.

The 9X- 1968-69

Alec Issigonis's 9X was his intended Mini replacement, using 42% less parts than the ADO15 and a brand new OHC engine codenamed DX. It was shorter than the Mini and yet had more internal room. Cancelled because of inadequate funds.

The ADO20 AKA Mini Clubman unveiled in Autumn 1969.
The car was styled by Roy Haynes, who joined BMC from Ford where he had been responsible for the MK2 Cortina. The Clubman had many Cortina styling cues. Roy Haynes originally styled this 1968 hatchback. The colour pic is a 1969 PR photo.

The Morris 1500 was an Austrailian built ADO16 with the 1485cc E-series engine and 4 speed gearbox, something BLMC's British dealers would have loved. Note the bonnet bulge. Transmission in sump powertrains are taller than inline or end on gearbox arrangements.

The final Issigonis car was the Austin/Morris 2200 and Wolseley Six of 1972. Basically a landcrab with a transverse six cylinder 2227 cc engine which at last gave the overengineered chassis some grunt. The Wolseley Six was a smooth refined sumptuous armchair with a 6 cylinder engine and a worthy rival to executive cars of the day.

Sir Alec Issigonis and his cars in May 1971