696 replies to this topic

[Barry Boor]

Now, you must all blame Ian Senior for this!

Coming across an actual Supporters Club member after all these years prompted me to check up on the condition (or otherwise) of the story that I wrote years ago. It used to be on the F1 Test Site and on Motor Racing Retro. Sadly, the F1 Test Site is no more (I won't mention what you get on that URL these days.... ) and since Franco Varani rebuilt his Retro site, it appears not to be there either. (At least, I cannot find it.)

So, I have done the obvious (to me) thing and posted it up on my own Racing Images site.
http://members.atlasf1.com/barry_boor

I offer a multitude of apologies to those who have seen and heard far too much about this racing nonentity during my 2 years at TNF, but there just may be one or two people left on the planet who might like to read it and marvel at the unbelieveable stupidity exhibited by a small band of loonies more than thirty years ago.

[Felix Muelas]

Originally posted by Barry Boor
...and marvel at the unbelieveable stupidity exhibited by a small band of loonies more than thirty years ago.

Sometimes your comments Barry, are simply touching.
Oh, and yes, some of us are extremelly proud to count on "Connewman" chez TNF ;)
Thanks

Felix

[David Beard]

Is there anything to add to "Watch this space......" on the rebuild page?

I was wondering where the full story had gone to. Mind you I still have the hard copy I printed off years before I found TNF.

[Vitesse2]

Originally posted by Felix Muelas


Sometimes your comments Barry, are simply touching.
Oh, and yes, some of us are extremelly proud to count on "Connewman" chez TNF ;)
Thanks

Felix

[Doug Nye]

Count me in too ----

DCN

[Stefan Ornerdal]

What a great story, Barry! So far... I only get the first 2 pages, then "404 File Not Found"

Is it too late to join the Connew Supper Club?

Stefan

[Dave Ware]

I offer a multitude of apologies to those who have seen and heard far too much about this racing nonentity during my 2 years

No apologies are necessary. I'm sure most of the people here wish they had been as involved with a F1 project as you were.

unbelieveable stupidity exhibited by a small band of loonies more than thirty years ago.

You've got to admire people who try something when the odds are stacked against them. Add to that the fact that such an effort is not possible in this day and age, and this is one of the things that makes the good old days "good."

Dave

[ensign14]

Originally posted by Dave Ware
You've got to admire people who try something when the odds are stacked against them.

Oh yes. Reminds me of a certain King Connewt.

[Allen Brown]

Barry

It really is time to relaunch the Connew Supporters Club. I'd buy the T-shirt. How good would that look at TGP meetings or at next year's Festival of Speed?

Allen

[Barry Boor]

Stefan, you are quite right!

It's odd because when I first uploaded it, it seemed to work fine.

Thanks for the call - I will look into it.

[Barry Boor]

I think I may have cracked it. Page 3 insists on being called 'html' not 'htm'. I have changed the link from page 2. It works for me but please let me know if there is still a problem.

[Stefan Ornerdal]

It works.
The best story I have read for a long time!
Barry, thanks for charing your memories.


Stefan

[Holger Merten]

Originally posted by Stefan Ornerdal
It works.
The best story I have read for a long time!
Barry, thanks for charing your memories.


Stefan

What Stefan said, yes a great story since a long time ago. Thank you Barry, as we mailed today, I like those sentimental real live "situations"

[Racer.Demon]

Absolutely wonderful to re-read all that after so many years. Those were the days! Thanks for putting it back on-line, Barry. Of course I immediately included it in the MRH index.

[LittleChris]

Put me down for a t-shirt !!

[Catalina Park]

Better register the Connew logo before the counterfeiters start selling them at the markets!

[David Beard]

Barry..you may have mentioned this before, I'm sure. But I have just rediscovered in Motor Sport August 1986....Mike Lawrence's article on the most endearing F1 car ever.

I built a kart around the same time that you and your cousin built an F1 car. I am not worthy....

[Barry Boor]

Peter called me a week or so before Mike visited him and I made it down to Essex for the weekend.

Mike came over and we talked, and talked and talked.

Even after we turned in for the night, Mike and I shared a room (single beds, I hasten to add!!!) and we carried on talking 'til Lord knows what time in the morning.

Happy days....

[MaTT2799]

What a magnificent story Barry, it makes me wish that I had been born some 25 years earlier so I could have joined you all!

[LittleChris]

STILL waiting for the Tee Shirt & did Chelsea get a lucky 4th round draw or what !!

[Jordi #99]

I had read it long ago, it's just a great story.

It's also interesting to compare Connew's appearance in F1 with Toyota's just 30 later... It really shows how it all has changed from sport to business, how everything has grown incredibly...

[MrSlow]

Fantastic story! What else to say? What a pity the car never had any real chance to show it's true colors. But then on the other hand, with a little more luck maybe Connew would have been just another success story

[Barry Boor]

Thanks again for the nice comments, chaps. Rest assured I will point Mr. Connew in the direction of this thread.

Incidentally, seeing that Ensign14 has posted on this thread, I would like to congratulate him on actually being born on THE most significant day in the history of the Connew F1 team!

[ensign14]

Originally posted by Barry Boor
Incidentally, seeing that Ensign14 has posted on this thread, I would like to congratulate him on actually being born on THE most significant day in the history of the Connew F1 team!

That should make me member no 1 of the Connew Fan Club? Or no 14?

[Paul Newby]

I'm just printing out the story (22 pages,wow!) so I can read it in the old fashioned way - and not get goggle eyed reading on the screen.

One thing that doesn't seemed to be have mentioned (or maybe I've missed it) is the article that Mike Lawrence wrote for Classic and Sportscar in May 1984. Of course, Barry, you were quoted in this story and of it goes without saying that Mike can be relied upon to write a good story. There is a photo of Peter Connew and what remains of the Connew with his son in the 'driving seat.' What has become of the Connew?

OT, but around this time Mike Lawrence wrote an "insiders tale" about F1 in C&SC around that time that was totally fascinating - but I've never been able to find it since (despite having a complete run of C&SC.) One anecdote was about a lady who insisted that her F1 driver boyfriend made love to her in his driving suit, to which he complied - I've always wondered who that may have been ;)

Not that this has anything to do with Connew F1

[David McKinney]

You might have better luck finding Mike Lawrence articles from that period if you checked out Motor Sport, of which he was deputy editor, rather than Classic & Sports Car

[Ray Bell]

Well looky here!

From the pages of Racing Car News, February 1972... in the 'Words from Weinthal' column about cars and shows... note the caption under the pic.



Amazing what you find when you're looking for information about a Fiat 600 powered by a Holden 6!

[RTH]

Originally posted by Ray Bell
[B]Well looky here!

From the pages of Racing Car News, February 1972... in the 'Words from Weinthal' column about cars and shows... note the caption under the pic.



Amazing what you find when you're looking for information about a Fiat 600 powered by a Holden 6! [/B

]

It looks very much as if that photo was taken on board the Townsend Thoresen cross channel ferry tied up in the port of London which hosted the Racing car show that year on the Thames.

We all rocked about as we walked around - yet it was still better than the current offering ! ............Ah I remember it well.

[ensign14]

Originally posted by Paul Newby
One anecdote was about a lady who insisted that her F1 driver boyfriend made love to her in his driving suit, to which he complied - I've always wondered who that may have been ;)

Why was she wearing his driving suit?

sorry

[Barry Boor]

It looks very much as if that photo was taken on board the Townsend Thoresen cross channel ferry tied up in the port of London which hosted the Racing car show that year on the Thames.

It certainly was, RTH. The joke was, we had to drive all the way to Dover to put it on board the ferry, which then sailed all the way back to the Pool of London, no more than a dozen or so miles from where we started from!

[Twin Window]

After 16 months lying dormant, it strikes me that this thread is worthy of another airing!

Here's my solitary capture of the great little car (as previously posted elsewhere) at Mallory, July '73. Barry informed me that the young lady behind the car is Mrs Connew!



Sorry I missed the nose off...

So, Barry, is there any news to report?

TW

[ian senior]

As an ex-supporters club member, I'm always glad to see anything Connew-related. I wonder how much it would actually cost to get the car restored and up and running. Note the phrase "up and running". I wouldn't want to see a kind of static exhibit, but even that might not be too bad bearing in mind that it is how the car started its public life! Would M. Migault still be able and available to conduct the thing?

Nice pic by the way, TW.

[Catalina Park]

Would it be easier to rebuild the car as a F5000 instead of going all out for F1? I know which would be better but I also know which would be cheaper to make into a runner.

Great pic TW

[Twin Window]

You know, I have a nagging feeling that I enrolled with the Supporters Club too...

Does a list of members still exist so I could check?!

TW

[ian senior]

Originally posted by Twin Window
You know, I have a nagging feeling that I enrolled with the Supporters Club too...

Does a list of members still exist so I could check?!

TW

So do you remember the newsletters? The advice on how to construct your own "Peter Connew Motor Racing Team" stickers?

[Twin Window]

Ian

I sort of do, but not very clearly - which is unlike me for that period.

Just had a thought! Was there a competition hosted by Capricorn? I seem to remember doing a drawing with which to enter, but I don't think I finished it. I'll probably still have it, buried somewhere...

Does that ring a bell with you?

TW

[ian senior]

Originally posted by Twin Window
Ian

I sort of do, but not very clearly - which is unlike me for that period.

Just had a thought! Was there a competition hosted by Capricorn? I seem to remember doing a drawing with which to enter, but I don't think I finished it. I'll probably still have it, buried somewhere...

Does that ring a bell with you?

TW

Faintest of bells ringing. Not sure what it involved, probably trying to devise a colour scheme for the car involving pictures of prawns, but yes, I do recall summat of that ilk.

[Twin Window]

Perhaps it was a pre-British GP comp along the lines of "Submit your best photo or drawing of the Capricorn Sea Foods Connew at Brands Hatch and you could win a... whelk/DIY sticker kit/the complete racing car"?!!

I'm into the loft as soon as MotoGP qualifying's finished!

TW

[ian senior]

Perhaps if they hadn't had to shell(fish) out the cost of a prize, they would have had enough change to pay the Dartford Tunnel toll.

It occurs to me that any restoration ought to be conducted in true Connew style. Forget the shedloads of money that would really be needed, just try to beg, steal or borrow important and expensive things such as an engine and gearbox from one of the rich boys currently playing with a historic F1 car. Hmm........can't see it happening, somehow.

NB - in case anyone thinks I'm having a go at the Connew team, I aren't. I loved it dearly. It's just the British sense of humour coming out.

[BorderReiver]

We should start up a Connew restoration lottery syndicate. If one of us got lucky we could see Connew in TGP!

[Barry Boor]

Gentlemen - you cannot even begin to imagine how happy I am to see all these wonderful comments about 'the old girl'.

Believe me, if it were simply about the will to rebuild, Peter would have had the car at least standing on wheels long ago. But there are many other factors involved as I am sure you all realise.

I think any restoration needs to be to F.1 levels. It was so much prettier in that form.

As far as the Supporters Club went, I dealt with it in the very early days but then Peter carried on after I departed from the team. AFAIR there was no list although even from this vast distance, I can still remember a boy named Jasjit Gill joining, and also a vicar!!! In addition, we had a letter from a guy in Poland who wanted 'reklame' but we never really knew what that was and probably didn't have any anyway.

Quite a few people requested stickers but during my time there were never any true Connew stickers, just Sapal Chalets and motor sporting trade ones.

Certainly, I knew nothing whatsoever about any Capricorn competition; or if I did, I have utterly forgotten it.

Keep hoping, chaps, you never know.....

[fines]

Originally posted by Barry Boor
Gentlemen - you cannot even begin to imagine how happy I am to see all these wonderful comments about 'the old girl'.

How dare you speak so unkind of Mrs Connew!


























;)

P.S. Reklame is a German word for advertisement/commercial - I don't know if there's a Polish word like that, but chances are the guy just wanted a sticker or label... Do you still have his address? I'd love to imagine the expression on his face...

[David Beard]

Barry (and I have suggested this before) ....how about Connew Supporters Club badges to compliment our TNF ones?

Of course, the first meeting of paid up members should involve a Connew relic viewing....

[Twin Window]

Top idea, David!

Which reminds me - I must get the money off for my TNF badge...

TW

[RTH]

How much of the car currently exists and what state is it in - do I recall it was once out in the open at the bottom of Peter Connew's garden ?

[Rosemayer]

Barry is this what you were looking for?

members.atlasf1.com/barry_boor/story1.htm

[Twin Window]

Would M. Migault still be able and available to conduct the thing?

TW

[llmaurice]

I reckon we should start a fund to enable it to run in TGP . It would probably outrun half the field !

[Barry Boor]

Thanks for that, TW. I think this is possibly the best on track picture of the car ever taken.

To me, it shows the lines of the car off beautifully.

[Mischa Bijenhof]

A very similar pic is in Ulrich Schwabs 1972 yearbook, presumably taken in Austria