Ian Appleyard

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]