Connaught Engineering

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]

Connaught
Full nameUnited Kingdom Connaught Engineering
BaseSend, Surrey, United Kingdom
Founder(s)Rodney Clarke
Mike Oliver
Noted staffKenneth McAlpine
Noted driversUnited Kingdom Stuart Lewis-Evans
United Kingdom Stirling Moss
Thailand Prince Bira
United Kingdom Kenneth McAlpine
Formula One World Championship career
First entry1952 British Grand Prix
Races entered18
Constructors'
Championships		0
Drivers'
Championships		0
Race victories0
Pole positions0
Fastest laps0
Final entry1959 United States Grand Prix

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.

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

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.
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