Peter Connew's path into motorsport began with an act of defiance. In 1969, at the age of 23, his employer refused to give him time off to attend the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, so Connew resigned and went anyway. On returning to England he needed work and was hired by Surtees — the Formula One team run by former champion John Surtees — as a draughtsman. After a falling out with Surtees he resolved to design and build his own car.
In December 1970 Connew rented a garage in Chadwell Heath and began constructing the chassis jig. He was assisted by Roger Doran, a shopfitter by trade, and by his cousin Barry Boor. His design philosophy was that the car should be efficient but also easy to work on and maintain. Development was aided by use of the wind tunnel at a nearby technical college. Drivers Tony Trimmer, Howden Ganley, and Gerry Birrell all visited during the build; Trimmer described it as one of the most comfortable cars he had ever sat in.
The team's original plan was to debut at the Monaco Grand Prix, but a sudden regulatory change required the construction of a replacement chassis in a different aluminium specification, setting the programme back. Connew struck a deal with McLaren to acquire a second-hand Cosworth DFV engine. Frenchman François Migault signed on as driver and contributed a Ford truck to transport the car to France; the truck broke down before reaching the Clermont-Ferrand circuit and the team instead tested at the Bugatti Circuit in Le Mans.
The car appeared in practice at the 1972 British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch but was withdrawn before the race when the unusual rear suspension proved inadequate. Overnight repairs left the car seemingly ready, but a cracked rear upright was discovered on the morning of the race and the entry was scratched. At the German Grand Prix the team turned up without having submitted a proper entry and race officials turned them away.
The sole World Championship start came at the 1972 Austrian Grand Prix. Migault qualified at the back of the grid despite engine problems. He made genuine progress during the race, passing four competitors over 22 laps, before a rear wishbone mounting point failed and the car snapped towards the barriers on the start/finish straight. Migault gathered it up and brought the car safely to rest without significant damage.
The Connew reappeared at the end-of-season World Championship Victory Race at Brands Hatch with David Purley driving, but an electrical kill switch fitted to the steering wheel at Purley's request malfunctioned on the warm-up lap and the car never started.
The PC1 was converted to Formula 5000 regulations and fitted with a Chevrolet V8 engine for the 1973 European Formula 5000 Championship. The team's debut in the series came at Mallory Park for round 10 of 18. Swiss driver Pierre Soukry qualified twenty-first but could not start due to a split oil pipe. Three rounds later, at Brands Hatch, the car failed to qualify. The final appearance was again at Brands Hatch for the season finale, where Tony Trimmer drove. A collision with a barrier put the chassis beyond repair, and the team closed.
Connew is one of the most extreme examples of a private constructor operating on minimal resources at the fringe of Formula One. The project was conceived, funded, and built almost entirely by a tiny group with no professional motorsport infrastructure. The complete story of the team was documented by Barry Boor, one of its original builders.
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