Sir Alec Issigonis is best remembered for the Austin Mini - a car that revolutionised the small car package and probably saved the British Motor Corporation at the same time. However, there was more to his life than just one car. He was born in 1906 in a city that is now known as Izmir, in Turkey which itself can trace its history back before Alexander the Great. He was born … [Read more...]
Hydro Pneumatic Suspension
Hydro pneumatic suspensions have been available on cars for over 50 years. The concept was to provide a much smoother ride than was available from other forms of suspension. It was an engineer at Citroen in France who developed the original version back in the mid to late 1940s and it hit the showrooms on the Traction Avant model in 1954. The car was unique in its day having … [Read more...]
British Motor Corporation
The British car industry has been one of massive consolidation over the years until only a handful of manufacturers were left. It is probably similar to the American industry as both countries technically had a handful of big players. In the US the industry has been dominated by GM, Ford and Chrysler who owned all the main brands, and in Britain it was the British Motor … [Read more...]