Ian Appleyard | |
---|---|
Born |
Linton, West Yorkshire, England | 10 October 1923
Died | 2 June 1998
Harrogate,
North Yorkshire, England | (aged 74)
Ernest Ian Appleyard (10 October 1923 – 2 June 1998) was a British rally driver, alpine skier and ornithologist. Driving a Jaguar XK120, he won the RAC Rally in 1951 and 1953, the Tulip Rally in 1951 and a Coupe d'Or at the Alpine Rally in 1952. In alpine skiing, he competed for Great Britain in the 1948 Winter Olympic Games. After retiring from sports, he became a leading author on the ring ouzel.
Appleyard was born in Linton, West Yorkshire, in 1923. [1] As a child, he shared an interest in birds and alpine skiing with his brother Geoffrey, who died on an SAS mission during World War II. [2] Ian received his degree in mechanical engineering in 1943 and went on to become a Major at the Royal Military College of Science. [2] In 1946, he accepted a job as a director of the family car dealership Appleyard of Leeds. [2]
The following year, Appleyard finished third in his class at the Alpine Rally in a Jaguar SS100. [2] In 1948, he received factory support from Jaguar Cars. [3] Despite stopping to help an injured rival, he met all the target times and was awarded his first Coupe des Alpes (Alpine Cup). [2] That same year, he competed in the Winter Olympics and finished 55th in men's slalom and 91st in men's downhill. [1] At the wheel of an XK120 and with his wife Patricia "Pat" Lyons, the daughter of Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons, as his co-driver, [4] Appleyard finished the Alpine Rally unpenalized three times in a row from 1950 to 1952, becoming the first driver to win the coveted Coupe d'Or (Gold Cup). [5] Only two drivers would match this feat; Stirling Moss in 1954 and Jean Vinatier in 1971. [5]
Appleyard went on to take his fifth Coupe des Alpes in 1953, [5] but achieved success in other rallies as well. In the Netherlands, he drove to victory in the Tulip Rally in 1951, [6] after having finished second two years earlier. [3] In his home country, he won the RAC Rally in 1951 and 1953. [6] In 1953, Appleyard also finished runner-up in the Monte Carlo Rally and the inaugural European Rally Championship. [2] [6] He later continued in motorsport more sporadically, taking second place in the 1956 RAC in an XK140. [7]
After retiring from rallying, Appleyard chaired the Appleyard Group until 1988. [2] He also rekindled his interest in birds and started studying the ring ouzel in 1978, eventually becoming a leading author on the subject. [2] In 1994, he released a book titled Ring Ouzels of the Yorkshire Dales. [2] Appleyard died in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, in 1998. [1] An obituary in The Independent wrote that "in his gleaming white Jaguar XK120, he became a sporting icon for his generation." [2]
Ian Appleyard | |
---|---|
Born |
Linton, West Yorkshire, England | 10 October 1923
Died | 2 June 1998
Harrogate,
North Yorkshire, England | (aged 74)
Ernest Ian Appleyard (10 October 1923 – 2 June 1998) was a British rally driver, alpine skier and ornithologist. Driving a Jaguar XK120, he won the RAC Rally in 1951 and 1953, the Tulip Rally in 1951 and a Coupe d'Or at the Alpine Rally in 1952. In alpine skiing, he competed for Great Britain in the 1948 Winter Olympic Games. After retiring from sports, he became a leading author on the ring ouzel.
Appleyard was born in Linton, West Yorkshire, in 1923. [1] As a child, he shared an interest in birds and alpine skiing with his brother Geoffrey, who died on an SAS mission during World War II. [2] Ian received his degree in mechanical engineering in 1943 and went on to become a Major at the Royal Military College of Science. [2] In 1946, he accepted a job as a director of the family car dealership Appleyard of Leeds. [2]
The following year, Appleyard finished third in his class at the Alpine Rally in a Jaguar SS100. [2] In 1948, he received factory support from Jaguar Cars. [3] Despite stopping to help an injured rival, he met all the target times and was awarded his first Coupe des Alpes (Alpine Cup). [2] That same year, he competed in the Winter Olympics and finished 55th in men's slalom and 91st in men's downhill. [1] At the wheel of an XK120 and with his wife Patricia "Pat" Lyons, the daughter of Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons, as his co-driver, [4] Appleyard finished the Alpine Rally unpenalized three times in a row from 1950 to 1952, becoming the first driver to win the coveted Coupe d'Or (Gold Cup). [5] Only two drivers would match this feat; Stirling Moss in 1954 and Jean Vinatier in 1971. [5]
Appleyard went on to take his fifth Coupe des Alpes in 1953, [5] but achieved success in other rallies as well. In the Netherlands, he drove to victory in the Tulip Rally in 1951, [6] after having finished second two years earlier. [3] In his home country, he won the RAC Rally in 1951 and 1953. [6] In 1953, Appleyard also finished runner-up in the Monte Carlo Rally and the inaugural European Rally Championship. [2] [6] He later continued in motorsport more sporadically, taking second place in the 1956 RAC in an XK140. [7]
After retiring from rallying, Appleyard chaired the Appleyard Group until 1988. [2] He also rekindled his interest in birds and started studying the ring ouzel in 1978, eventually becoming a leading author on the subject. [2] In 1994, he released a book titled Ring Ouzels of the Yorkshire Dales. [2] Appleyard died in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, in 1998. [1] An obituary in The Independent wrote that "in his gleaming white Jaguar XK120, he became a sporting icon for his generation." [2]