Syracuse

October 23rd was a significant anniversary; it marked 50 years since Tony Brooks won the Syracuse Grand Prix in a Con­naught. It was a non-championship race, sure, but it was Britain’s first Grand Prix win for more than 30 years. Moreover, Brooks defeated a five-car works team from Maserati, which was then the world’s top team since Mercedes-Benz had withdrawn from racing.

The name, Connaught, derives from an ancient kingdom in Ireland and from Continental Automobiles which was a car dealership set up by Rodney Clarke and Mike Oliver, who had both been fliers in the RAF. Continental Automobiles made a specialty of Bugatti and once offered a Royale for £550. They had a hard time shifting it, even at the price of a new Morris Minor, because you couldn’t get replacement tires. Too easily, we forget the details.