Monday 29th September 2003

Issigonis' Sketches Bought by Gaydon

Heritage Trust snaps up drawings for museum

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The British Motor Industry Heritage Trust has recently bought two original drawings by the designer of the Morris Minor and the Mini.

The two sketches, together with the Leverhulme medal, which was awarded to Sir Alec Issigonis, will be added to the already extensive collection at Gaydon.

The Leverhulme Medal, in its original case, was presented to Issigonis in 1966 for his 'services to science and its application' in recognition of his pioneering work on the design of the Morris Minor and the original Mini.

The items were not obvious amongst a wide collection of historical car memorabilia, which came up for sale recently at a Bonhams' sale held at the Lords Cricket Ground. To the untrained eye they would not have attracted much attention. The sketches are quite small items, executed on the translucent paper of a draftsman's sketchpad. But to the keen-eyed chief archivist at the BMIHT Gaydon, who specialises in Issigonis material, this was the moment Gillian Bardsley had been waiting for.

"I knew exactly what they were as soon as I saw them – the two drawings were part of a set which was missing from our collection of Issigonis' sketch books. Issigonis was a very generous man and over the years he gave away many personal items to his friends and work colleagues. There are still many personal items in circulation which we would be interested in locating, such as his CBE medal and a portrait in oils ," said Gillian Bardsley.

The Trust now has the largest collection in the world of Issigonis' historical material, and it is their intention to display these recent acquisitions later next year.

[johnnystorm]

Well, they can afford to buy the drawings after having sold off the rare examples of the cars he designed.....I'm sure he would much rather people looked at his doodlings than the actual cars! Still I suppose Ford can make some more money by publishing these pictures and they take up less space reserved for Cortinas and the like!

[eein]

..... sounds like they didnt have to pay too much though.