LNW 100
After the war Ian Appleyard, a Jaguar distributor in the northern town of Leeds who represented his country at skiing in the 1948 Olympic Games, took up rallying.
At first he used his own 1938 3 ½ -litre SS 100 on the Alpine Rally, but the car wore its tyres out at such a rate that he literally ran out of spares.
He then acquired a ‘new’ 3 ½ -litre SS 100, wich had been stored throughout the war at Lyons’ home, Wappenbury Hall. This car registered LNW 100, became particularly well known and recorded the model’s greatest successes when the SS 100 was no longer in production. Appleyard entered the new car in the 1948 event. It was in standard form apart from improvements to the steering.
The competition included Allards, Citroens, Delahayes, Hotchkiss, H.R.G.’s and the new Sunbeam-Talbot 90’s.
Heavy rain meant slippery conditions and among the casualities was Donald Healey, in a car of his own make, who was saved from a 2000-foot drop by a well-positioned tree! Appleyard saved time en route by having his navigator refuel from cans while on the move, difficult enough on flat, straight roads, but more so on the tortuous Alpine passes! Snow was encountered on the Susten Pass and a herd of cows on another section. But still Appleyard remained on time and penalty-free. After rushing through a pathway cut through 30-foot snow drifts on the Iseran, the SS Jaguar collected a hen, which perched in front of the radiator for several kilometres before being dislodged on a particularly sharp bend! Thirty-five minuters were lost when Appleyard’s navigator, a doctor, had to minister to an injured competitor. A 64-mph average thus had to be maintained between the mountain town of Grasse an the coastal resort of Cannes. Appleyard and Potter, in an Allard, were equal at the finish and matters were decided by a short test consisting of accelerating, braking and reversing. The Jaguar driver beat his compatriot by 0.3 seconds and so colleted a coveted Coupe des Alpes for a penalty-free run.
