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Connaught Engineering was formed by engineers named Rodney Clark and Mike Oliver, who worked out of their garage under the name 'Continental Cars.' A wealthy customer, with an pasion for racing, funded their efforts to build race cars of their own design, resulting in the first Formula One victory by a British constructor. Roney Clarke's original vision for the L3/SR race car was to have a lightweight aluminum body with cycle fenders and a tubular steel frame. This concept changed when Abbotts of Farnham, the body builder, refused to use steel, opting instead to use ash, which was was their preferred method of construction. As this car was on schedule for shipment to America, the ash framework had to be accepted. Connaught ultimately built only three L3/SRs, this one being the only one which was imported into the United States. Its first race was at Watkins Glen in 1951, where it won its class. It was also raced at Bridgehampton in 1952, finishing ninth.
The Connaught L3/SR is truly a special car from that golden age of racing, the 1950's. When seeing this car for the first time you can instantly place its period in time. With cycle fenders, boattail coach work, exposed exhaust pipes and ash framing how can yo go wrong.
After disappearing and ultimately falling into disrepair, the car was found (the entire aluminum body was covered by 1/4 inch of fiberglass!) and a complete restoration was performed by Creative Workshop in Dania Beach, Florida.
This car's first race was the 1951 Watkins Glen Grand Prix, where it secured a class win. It was driven by Harry Gray (a very talented driver who later teamed with Larry Kulok to win the 1952 12 Hours of Sebring). It also raced at Bridgehampton in the 1952 Hayground Corporation races, resutling in a ninth overall finish. © 1998-2009. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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