Alec Issigonis was born on 18 November 1906 in Smyrna, Ottoman Empire [now Izmir, Turkey]. He died on 2 October 1988 in Edgbaston, Birmingham, West Midlands, England, UK.
He designed the iconic Mini which was released in 1959. It featured several revolutionary design features: transverse engine driving the front wheels, and rubber cones instead of springs for suspension.