William Daniels

William John Daniels, "Jack" Daniels, (8 February 1912 – 27 November 2004) was a British car engineer who worked directly with Sir Alec Issigonis for 35 years and was associated with such projects as the 1948 Morris Minor and the 1959 Mini. He was an invited guest at the 1999 awards ceremony in Las Vegas when the Mini was voted the second most influential car of the 20th century. His working life from 1926-1977 was spent as a draughtsman, designer and development engineer for William Morris's 'ever evolving' Morris Motors; Morris Garages (MG Cars); British Motor Corporation; British Motor Holdings; British Leyland. His project involvement included the 1935 MG R-type racing car; the 1962 Morris 1100; the 1969 Austin Maxi; the 1973 Austin Allegro and the 1971 Morris Marina. Early life and education Daniels was born into a farming family in New Marston, a once rural area now engulfed by Oxford city. He was educated at the now defunct 'Oxford Central school for Boys' in Gloucester Green where he excelled at woodwork and technical drawing and the school recommended him to Morris Garages. Thus in 1927, aged 16, he joined as their first unindentured apprentice engineering draughtsman, and by 1929 he was attached to Hubert Charles, MG's Chief Draughtsman, who he described as "my real tutor".