Connaught Engineering

Connaught

Full name	Connaught Engineering
Base	Send, Surrey, United Kingdom
Founder(s)	Rodney Clarke Mike Oliver
Noted staff	Kenneth McAlpine
Noted drivers	Stuart Lewis-Evans Stirling Moss Prince Bira Kenneth McAlpine
Formula One World Championship career
First entry	1952 British Grand Prix
Races entered	18
Constructors' Championships	0
Drivers' Championships	0
Race victories	0
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
Final entry	1959 United States Grand Prix

Connaught Engineering, often referred to simply as Connaught, was a Formula One, Formula Two and other sports car divisions constructor from the United Kingdom.^[1] Their cars participated in 18 Grands Prix, entering a total of 52 races with their A, B, and C Type Formula 2 and Formula 1 Grand Prix Cars. They achieved 1 podium and scored 17 championship points. The name Connaught is a pun on Continental Autos, the garage in Send, Surrey, which specialised in sales and repair of European sports cars such as Bugatti, and where the cars were built.^[2]

History

In 1950, the first single-seaters, the Formula 2 "A" types, used an engine that was developed by Connaught from the Lea-Francis engine used in their "L" type sports cars. The engine was extensively re-engineered and therefore is truly a Connaught engine. The cars were of conventional construction for the time with drive through a preselector gearbox to a de Dion rear axle. In 1952 and 1953, the Grand Prix races counting towards the World Championship were to Formula 2 rules so drivers of these cars could take part in those events as the table below shows.^[3]

Connaught designed a new car for the 2½ litre Formula 1 of 1954 which was to have a rear-mounted Coventry Climax V8 engine (the "Godiva"), but when the engine was not proceeded with, a conventionally arranged "B" type was designed using an Alta engine developed into 2½ litre form. The first cars were built with all-enveloping aerodynamic bodywork but later rebodied conventionally (as the photos below show). In 1955, driving a Connaught in this form, Tony Brooks scored the first win in a Grand Prix by a British driver in a British car since 1923, in a non World Championship race at Syracuse. Thereafter the "B" type has been known as the "Syracuse" Connaught and the name was used for the car presented in the 2004 revival.^[3]

In 1962, Jack Fairman attempted to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 in a Connaught race car, but failed to find the necessary speed to make the field.

Sports cars

Prior to the single-seat racing cars they built a small number of road going sports cars developed on the Lea-Francis Sports Chassis, which achieved considerable competition success. These were of types L2 and L3, and three examples of the stark Cycle Winged L3/SR Sports Racer. Two sports cars, based on the A Type Formula 2 cars, the ALSRs were also built for competition work.

In 2004, the Connaught name was revived by Connaught Motor Company for their Type D Syracuse and Type D-H hybrid sports cars.

• 
  An ex-Rob Walker Racing Team Connaught Type B Formula One car
• 
  Connaught Type B, 1955, at the National Motor Museum
• 
  A Connaught Type D Syracuse

Complete Drivers' World Championship results

(key)

Year	Chassis	Engine	Driver	Entrant	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	WCC	Points
1952					SUI	500	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER	NED	ITA				-*	-*
	Connaught Type A	Lea-Francis Straight-4	Ken Downing	Ken Downing							Ret
				Connaught Engineering					9
			Eric Thompson						5
			Kenneth McAlpine						16			Ret
			Stirling Moss									Ret
			Dennis Poore						4
				Connaught Racing Syndicate								12
1953					ARG	500	NED	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER	SUI	ITA			-*	-*
	Connaught Type A	Lea-Francis Straight-4	Kenneth McAlpine	Connaught Engineering			Ret			Ret	13		NC
			Stirling Moss				9
			Roy Salvadori				Ret		Ret	Ret	Ret		Ret
			Prince Bira						Ret	7	Ret
			Jack Fairman										NC
			Johnny Claes	Ecurie Belge			Ret		12		Ret		Ret
			André Pilette					NC
			Ian Stewart	Ecurie Ecosse						Ret
			Tony Rolt	Rob Walker Racing Team						Ret
1954					ARG	500	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER	SUI	ITA	ESP			-*	-*
	Connaught Type A	Lea-Francis Straight-4	Leslie Marr						13
			Bill Whitehouse						Ret
			Don Beauman	Sir Jeremy Boles					11
			Leslie Thorne	Ecurie Ecosse					14
			John Riseley-Prichard	Rob Walker Racing Team					Ret
1955					ARG	MON	500	BEL	NED	GBR	ITA					-*	-*
	Connaught Type B	Alta Straight-4	Kenneth McAlpine	Connaught Engineering						Ret
			Jack Fairman							DNS
			Tony Rolt							Ret^±
			Peter Walker							Ret^±
			Leslie Marr							Ret
1956					ARG	MON	500	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER	ITA				-*	-*
	Connaught Type B	Alta Straight-4	Archie Scott Brown	Connaught Engineering						Ret
			Desmond Titterington							Ret
			Jack Fairman							4		5
			Ron Flockhart									3
			Les Leston									Ret
			Piero Scotti					Ret
1957					ARG	MON	500	FRA	GBR	GER	PSC	ITA				-*	-*
	Connaught Type B	Alta Straight-4	Stuart Lewis-Evans	Connaught Engineering		4
			Ivor Bueb			Ret
1958					ARG	MON	NED	500	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER	POR	ITA	MOR	NC	0
	Connaught Type B	Alta Straight-4	Ivor Bueb	Bernie Ecclestone							Ret
			Bruce Kessler			DNQ
			Paul Emery			DNQ
			Jack Fairman								Ret
			Bernie Ecclestone			DNQ					DNP
1959					MON	500	NED	FRA	GBR	GER	POR	ITA	USA			NC	0
	Connaught Type C	Alta Straight-4	Bob Said	Connaught Cars / Paul Emery									Ret

*Constructors points not awarded until 1958
± = Indicates a shared drive

See also

• Connaught Type D
• List of car manufacturers of the United Kingdom

References

1. "History – Connaught Motor Company". Retrieved 7 May 2023.
2. "Connaught Engineering". F1history. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
3. Wasef, Basem (9 October 2009). Legendary Race Cars. Motorbooks. pp. 147–149. ISBN 978-0-7603-3548-2.

External links

• Connaught Motor Company