Who designed the original Mini?

Sir Alec Issigonis designed the original Mini.

Issigonis was a British-Greek automotive engineer who developed the car for the British Motor Corporation (BMC). The project became urgent after the 1956 Suez Crisis caused fuel shortages and renewed interest in tiny economy cars, including imported bubble cars.

BMC chairman Leonard Lord set the broad brief, but Issigonis led the engineering and design work. His compact layout placed a water-cooled engine transversely at the front, drove the front wheels and used small 10-inch wheels. Those choices left an unusually large proportion of the floorpan available for passengers and luggage.

The first Minis appeared in 1959 as the Morris Mini-Minor and Austin Seven. Leonard Lord was the executive who approved the project, while John Cooper later created influential sporting versions; neither is the original Mini’s designer. Issigonis and BMC received the Royal Automobile Club’s Dewar Trophy in 1959 for the car’s innovative design and production.