In 1969, at the age of 23, Peter Connew resigned from his employment after being denied time off to attend the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. He was subsequently hired by Surtees, a Formula One team run by former champion John Surtees, as a draughtsman.
After a disagreement with team principal John Surtees, Connew left Surtees to design his own car. He rented a garage in Chadwell Heath and began constructing the chassis jig in December 1970, assisted by Roger Doran and his cousin Barry Boor. Connew’s design philosophy prioritised both efficiency and ease of maintenance. The design was tested and refined using a wind tunnel at a local technical college. Drivers including Tony Trimmer, Howden Ganley, and Gerry Birrell viewed the car, with Trimmer describing it as one of the most comfortable he had ever sat in.
The team initially planned to debut at the 1972 Monaco Grand Prix, but a rule change necessitated the construction of a new chassis. Connew secured a second-hand Cosworth DFV engine from McLaren and Frenchman François Migault signed to drive, also providing a Ford truck for transport. The truck broke down en route to the French Grand Prix at Clermont-Ferrand, forcing the team to test at the Bugatti Circuit in Le Mans instead.
The car participated in practice for the 1972 British Grand Prix but was withdrawn before the race due to issues with the rear suspension. Despite overnight repairs, a cracked rear upright led to its withdrawal. The team also attended the 1972 German Grand Prix, but were denied participation by race officials for failing to make a prior entry.
At the 1972 Austrian Grand Prix, Migault qualified at the back of the grid despite engine problems. After 22 laps, he had overtaken four competitors, but a failure in a rear wishbone mounting point caused the car to swerve towards the barriers on the start/finish straight. Migault managed to bring the car to a halt without damage. The Connew also appeared at the World Championship Victory Race at Brands Hatch with David Purley driving, but did not start due to electrical problems. Purley had requested an electrical "kill" switch on the steering wheel, but it malfunctioned on the warm-up lap, causing the engine to stop.
In 1973, the car was modified to meet Formula 5000 regulations and competed in the European Formula 5000 Championship with a Chevrolet V8 engine. The car’s first outing in the series was at Mallory Park, where Swiss driver Pierre Soukry qualified in twenty-first place but failed to start due to a split oil pipe. It failed to qualify at Brands Hatch three races later, again with Soukry driving. The car’s final race was at Brands Hatch, where Tony Trimmer crashed, damaging the chassis beyond repair and ending the team’s involvement in motorsport.
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