Episode 10 of this series looks at the popular but largely unsuccessful Connaught Engineering Team.

Founded in Britain in 1948, Connaught participated in 18 Formula 1 Grands Prix from 1952 to 1959, with a single podium and 17 World Championship points to show for it. Several later successful drivers got behind the wheel of a Connaught, but the team failed to ever score a pole position, fastest lap, or championship victory.

Before their foray into Formula 1, the Surrey-based team built its first sports car in 1949 armed with designer Rodney Clarke, engineer Mike Oliver, and financial backer Kenneth McAlpine. The team upgraded operations the following year with the production of a Formula 2 chassis – the Lea Francis-powered ‘Connaught A’.

The Connaught team produced a very impressive World Championship debut just a few years later. All four of its cars finished the British Grand Prix of 1952, the team’s first Formula 1 race. Britons Dennis Poore, Eric Thompson, and Ken Downing were 4th, 5th and 9th respectively; whilst even their backer McAlpine finished in 16th position.

Following the team’s strong showing, a youthful Stirling Moss got behind the wheel of the Connaught A for the season finale in Monza, Italy. After qualifying a respectable 9th, Moss sadly retired on Lap 60 of 80 with a push-rod suspension issue. Moss returned for the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort in 1953, finishing where he qualified – again in 9th.

Encouraged by these solid performances, McAlpine brought in works drivers, Prince ‘B’ Bira and Roy Salvadori of Thailand and Britain respectively. Bira remains the only Thai to have participated in Formula 1. Still powered by the Lea Francis Straight-4 engine, a host of other drivers entered private teams raced under different names but with the Connaught A chassis.

Both the works and customer teams were vastly underpowered as the big names of Formula 1 found great improvements in their respective cars. Bira’s 7th place was the best finish for the team of the season.

In 1954, the Connaught works team was shelved as McAlpine used his restricted funds to focus on non-championship events. Privateer Connaught teams carried on in 1954 but to no great success, as an 11th place for Don Beauman of the Sir Jeremy Boles team was the peak result that year. A third place at the Glover Trophy race and second place at the British Empire Trophy in 1955 seemed to prove McAlpine’s decision.

Connaught returned as a works team for 1955 with a new chassis – the Alta-powered Connaught B. Tony Brooks made this car famous overnight when he took one out to the Syracuse Grand Prix, a non-championship event in Sicily. He fought off the works Maseratis and Gordinis to take the maiden win for a British car in an overseas international race.

Finances played an unwelcome role in the decision to field their three cars in just two world championship events in 1956. But despite entering in just two races, the 1956 season was their most successful year in Formula 1. Jack Fairman scored a 4th and 5th place in the British and Italian Grands Prix respectively whilst his teammate, Ron Flockhart, secured the Connaught team’s only World Championship podium with a 3rd place finish in the 1956 Italian Grand Prix.

The last attempt at glory for the works team came in 1957 at Monaco. Stewart Lewis-Evans, behind the wheel of the Type B-Alta, finished 4th. The car had undergone some drastic reshaping and had been dubbed the ‘toothpaste tube’. He followed up this result with a win at the non-championship Richmond Trophy race at Goodwood.

Following this, the works Connaught team folded and all operations were directed to private entrants. Ivor Bueb and Jack Fairman were entered for just two races in 1958 as Bernie Ecclestone began to snap up Connaught’s stock. The works team itself was bought by Vanwall.

Connaught did have a Type C chassis in production, but did not see the light of day until after the works team’s demise. It had one outing in the 1959 United States Grand Prix – the last Formula 1 race to be entered under the Connaught name. It was a disaster – Bob Said qualified 13th and crashed out on the opening lap. It really was a disastrous end to an underwhelming career for the Connaught name.

After their departure from Formula 1, The Connaught Type C was heavily modified and had a supercharger fitted for the 1962 Indianapolis 500, to no success whatsoever. Later, a rear-engined monocoque Type D was put into production but never completed.

In 2004, the Connaught name was revived by the Connaught Motor Company and their ‘B Type’ Sports Car was renamed the ‘Syracuse Connaught’ as a tribute to Tony Brooks’ non-championship victory.