Alec Issigonis Quotes, Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis, born November 18, 1906, in Smyrna (now Izmir, Turkey), was a British-Greek automotive designer celebrated for creating the Mini, launched by the British Motor Corporation in 1959. Voted the second most influential car of the 20th century, the Mini’s innovative front-wheel-drive and transverse-engine design revolutionized compact cars, with over five million units sold. Starting at Morris Motors in 1936, Issigonis also designed the Morris Minor, selling over 1.1 million units. Knighted in 1969, he reshaped automotive engineering with his focus on simplicity and functionality. These 15 quotes—sourced from interviews, public statements, and documented writings—reflect his insights on design, engineering, and innovation, capturing his bold and practical vision.
15 Alec Issigonis Quotes
- “A camel is a horse designed by committee.” (Quoted in The Guardian, 1991)
- “The public don’t know what they want; it’s my job to tell them.” (Quoted in The Australian, 1988)
- “An expert is someone who tells you why you can’t do something.” (Quoted in The Australian, 1988)
- “It is much easier to drive without having an accident.” (Quoted in The Australian, 1988)
- “I feel very, very proud that so many people have copied me.” (Quoted in The Australian, 1988)
- “I make my cars with such good brakes, such good steering, that if people get into a crash it’s their own fault.” (Quoted in The Mini Forum, 2010)
- “My doodles and sketches are not the work of an academic engineer. They represent many years of design study in attempts to produce the best value for money in the field of small car design.” (Quoted in Inspiring Quotes, n.d.)
- “I’ve always felt that stylists such as you have in America are ashamed of a car and are preoccupied with making it look like something else, like a submarine or an airship… As an engineer, I revolt against this.” (Quoted in The New York Times, 1988)
- “A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” (Quoted in Bookey, 2023)
- “What is design? It’s where you stand with a foot in two worlds—the world of technology and the world of people and human purposes—and you try to bring the two together.” (Quoted in Bookey, 2023)
- “The greatest satisfaction in design comes when you see someone using and appreciating something you’ve created.” (Quoted in Bookey, 2023)
- “One thing that I learned the hard way—well not the hard way, the easy way—is when you’re designing a new car for production, never, never, copy the opposition.” (Quoted in The Mini Forum, 2010)
- “I know there are tens of thousands of such people, but I will not design cars for them.” (Quoted in The Mini Forum, 2010, on prioritizing function over styling)
- “Styling is designing for obsolescence.” (Quoted in The Australian, 1988)
- “Oh yes—I’m Arrogonis!” (Quoted in The Mini Forum, 2010, embracing his nickname at Cowley)
These Alec Issigonis quotes blend bold pragmatism with innovative vision, urging designers to prioritize simplicity, function, and user experience. Which quote fuels your creative drive? Share it in the comments and keep Issigonis’s revolutionary legacy alive!
Emma Thompson
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