Alex Moulton

Birth : 1920-04-09, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, UK

Death : 2012-12-09

History

Moulton was educated at Marlborough College and King's College, Cambridge. He was the great-grandson of the rubber pioneer Stephen Moulton, the founder of the family business George Spencer Moulton & Co. Ltd., in which he worked after World War II, specialising in rubber suspension systems for vehicles. His father, John Coney Moulton, was a naturalist working in the Far East. During the war he worked on engine design at the Bristol Aeroplane Company. In the late 1950s, after the acquisition of the family business by the Avon Rubber Company, Moulton started up a new company, Moulton Developments Limited, to design the suspension system for British Motor Corporation's new small car, the Mini, that was being designed by his friend Sir Alec Issigonis. The combination of conical rubber springs and small wheels was one of the many innovative developments that allowed Issigonis to achieve the Mini's small overall size. This was later refined into the hydrolastic and hydragas suspension systems used on later British Leyland cars such as the Austin Maxi, Austin Allegro, Princess and Rover Metro, and most recently on the MGF. Moulton also designed the Moulton Bicycle, again using rubber suspension and small wheels. Moulton Bicycle Company is based in Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire, England.

Movies

Story of the Mini
Story of the Mini
'The Story of the Mini' tells the story of the small car that became one of the giants in automobile history. Using exclusively shot footage, this programme charts the rise and rise of one of the best loved cars ever made. Key models have been specially filmed to bring to life the history of this remarkable car from the earliest Mark 1s through to the last versions that saw a revival of interest in the car in the last years of the 20th century. The programme also illustrates just how adaptable the Mini is from mild tuning to full blown customising including a 4 x 4 version with enormous ballon tyres. This programme includes an interview with Dr Alex Moulton, suspension designer and one of the last surviving members of the small team that created the Mini. We also look at the Mini's remarkable competition heritage both on the track and in rallying. Renowned Mini racer and tuner, Richard Longman whose racing exploits did much to revive interest in the Mini during the late 1970s.