Connew Formula 1

[Invincible]

Hi

I'm a member of a website called f1rejects and I submitted a team for them called Connew, they want to submit it into their website but have asked me if I can find any more info on it

Now all I know about Connew is that they were in Formula 1 in 1972 with Frenchman Francois Migualt driving the car, it failed to qualify for the British GP but made it the Austrian GP where Migualt qualified it 25th out of 25 starters!

Connew then disappeared after that.

I need to know where they came from and who was the boss, did Connew compete in further GP's, what did they begin as (were they an F2 team or were they just formed).

I would be grateful for any more info on them please

For all those things I already knew about them, it's suprising to learn that i'm only 14!

Invincible

[Kpy]

You need Barry Boor.

I expect he'll reply to you soon.

They weren't just formed, they were perfectly formed. Just lacked a little cash.

[TimD]

Last I heard of the Connew, it was lying in dismantled pieces at the bottom of Peter Connew's back garden. This would have been about 1983.

This is after it was configured to run in Formula 5000 events, I believe.

Has it survived? Wouldn't it be wonderful to see a resurrection and a glorious return to TGP events?

Barry? Barry? Where are you?

[Vitesse]

I've e-mailed Barry, but in the meantime:

http://www.motorracingretro.i12.com/connew/connew.htm

[Ray Bell]

Barry's story about this flirtation with Formula One is one of the great stories of modern motor racing... then there's his story of riding with Francois Migault into Cosworth's or somewhere in heavy traffic... that one you gotta read!

[Michael M]

Not only that, the whole story!!
I read it already some time ago, and I have to admit that it was the most fun I had for years! Where have the good old days gone??

[Barry Boor]

Here I am, everybody. Sorry to have kept you waiting. Again, many thanks to those who have posted such kind words about our ludicrous attempt to join the upper echelons of motor sport; can it REALLY be almost 30 years ago?

Apologies to those who have read all this before on another Historic forum, but for young Mr. Invincible, I'll detail the current state of play.

Tim D is partially correct. The pieces of car that survive are in Peter Connew's garden, but inside a shed nowadays.

What has survived amounts to a rolling chassis (except it wouldn't roll because there would be nothing connecting the rear of the chassis to the rear suspension arms. Usually, an engine and gearbox serves that purpose but at present, Peter has neither. The second chassis is there too. This was fiddled about with at the beginning of 1973 to bring it up to the new regulations which demanded deformable structures. This, IMHO did nothing to enhance the looks of the car - in fact, the contrary is true, but needs must.

Of course, the deformable structured chassis never ran as there was no cash for another F1 effort in '73.

I live a long way away from Peter these days and see him very rarely. We speak on the phone, or through e-mail fairly regularly and I can assure everyone that the rebuilding of the Connew is barging its way through more and more to the front of Peter's mind. I think the interest that has been shown by reaction to my story and others that have appeared on various websites; as well as an article in F1 Racing magazine last year, have made him realise he is sitting on a small but apparently significant piece of F1 history.

Although my contribution to any rebuild can, of necessity, be only minimal at best, it is probably my dearest wish in life to see the car sitting on its wheels again, and painted up in the Capricorn seafood colours that it wore in Austria back in August 1972.

And you never know, maybe this time the oil tank won't leak.....

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Michael M
I read it already some time ago, and I have to admit that it was the most fun I had for years! Where have the good old days gone??

Easily answered, I'm sure... to the dark recesses of our minds, harboured there until an escape from the mediocrity of today is required, kept and cherished by those who saw it and did it in what now is "the old days" but what is, in reality, a living, breathing period of our lives that cannot be undone.

[josvandeperre]

Great story - thanks Barry

I'm told that if you are a slot racer Betta bodyshells still show the Connew on their 1/32 scale available list !