Connaught Type B History

Designed for the new 2½-litre Formula 1 that came into force in 1954, the Type B used an Alta straight-four engine producing approximately 250 bhp through a four-speed preselector gearbox. Connaught had originally planned to use a rear-mounted Coventry Climax V8 ('Godiva') engine, but when that project was abandoned a conventional front-engined layout was adopted instead. The Type B initially wore all-enveloping streamlined bodywork; most cars were later rebodied with conventional open-wheel Formula 1 bodywork.

The car's defining moment came on 23 October 1955 at the non-championship Syracuse Grand Prix in Sicily. Tony Brooks — then a dental student making only his second single-seater start — drove a Type B to victory by a margin of 50 seconds, setting several lap records in the process. It was the first win in a Continental European motor race by a British car since 1924, and the car is still sometimes called the 'Syracuse' in honour of that result.

In World Championship racing the Type B struggled against the works Ferrari and Maserati teams. Connaught entered 18 championship Grands Prix across the 1955–1958 seasons, scoring 17 points and one podium. Notable drivers included Stirling Moss, Stuart Lewis-Evans, and Prince Bira. Insufficient funding forced the team to withdraw from racing in early 1957, though privately entered B-Types continued to compete.