Page 13 - Nash-Healey A Grand Alliance by John Nikas

Married to Patricia Lyons, daughter of Jaguar’s Sir William, Ian Appleyard finished third overall on the Alpine Rally in 1947, sparking a run of success that lasted several years. For his Alpine achievements from 1950 to 1952, Appleyard became the first driver awarded the Coupe d’Or. The winner of the 1951 and 1953 RAC rallies in an XK120, Appleyard also represented Great Britain during the 1948 Winter Olympics. (Sallon, Author’s Collection)
Chapter 5: dreaMs and disappointMent
better balance, while the handling improved with the installation of a thicker antiroll bar, stiffer springs and telescopic dampers at the rear. With acceleration from a standing start to 60 mph in 13.2 seconds, it was likely the fastest affordable sports car on the market.
While not attractive in a traditional sense, it looked like a dedicated racing machine that had been plucked from the track and placed on the street. Indeed, the vehicle proved the perfect dual-purpose vehicle, allowing hardy enthusiast owners to use the same vehicle for their daily transportation.82
Given the Silverstone moniker, it was an attractive package at a time when club racing was becoming popular on both sides of the Atlantic. With the Silverstone’s pending public introduction, Donald Healey chose to enter the prototype at the 1949 Alpine Rally, sharing the driving duties with Ian Appleyard.83 Along with 91 other starters, the duo set out from Marseilles, setting the third-fastest time of the day at Mount Ventoux. After the end of the first section at Monte Carlo, the pair were within sight of first place overall. On the timed autostrada section, the Silverstone managed an 83 mph average, but trouble at a railroad crossing resulted in a late arrival at the next control.
Despite losing the chance to win an Alpine Cup, Healey and Appleyard set the fastest time in class through the Stelvio Pass and Col de Vars, helping them to finish second overall in general classification and win class honors. Of the 53 British entrants, the Silverstone had been the first to arrive in Nice, making the model’s competition debut even more momentous, but there were further successes still on the horizon.
Later that summer, Warwick entered a trio of Silverstones for the Production Car Race at their namesake track, driven by Wisdom, Tony Rolt and Louis Chiron. Although Jaguar XK120s dominated the event, the Healeys took home the team prize, with Rolt finishing second in class and fourth overall, followed by Chiron and Wisdom, who placed fourth and fifth in class respectively.
When it officially debuted in July 1949, the Silverstone created a stir in the press, with one publication predicting that it would “soon become known as the Quicksilverstone!”84 Tommy Wisdom also provided his endorsement: “A racing car with all the comfort and safety of a touring car – that, in my view, exactly describes the Healey ... Superb road holding, delightful steering, splendid brakes plus a powerful engine and close-ratio gearbox, add up to a sporting car which has no peer. When I have to go quickly, safely, there is no car I would rather drive.”
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© DALTON WATSON FINE BOOKS © DALTON WATSON FINE BOOKS DALTON WATSON FINE BOOKS TON WATSON FINE B