2006 Connaught Type D Syracuse GT

The idea of a Connaught Type D Syracuse GT reaching a classic car auction might seem, to those in the know, about as far-fetched as the idea behind the car. That’s because it never went into production. Yet four prototypes were built, and Car and Classic has one of the two remaining survivors.

There are plucky, self-starter car companies, perhaps like the various attempts to rejuvenate Jensen or even TVR, and then there is Connaught. Not the illustrious 50s Formula One and Two kingpins, but the second version, the Noughties version.

The name Connaught Type D Syracuse GT may seem like a car designer’s thought cloud, but instead it is a clever hand-built, aluminium-bodied four-seat GT. It was the brainchild of Jaguar engine and chassis supremos Tim Bishop and Tony Martindale, who conceived it as an Audi TT-sized full four-seater. They called in Geoffrey Matthews to design it. He’s the man who gave the world the whacky Matra Rancho and drew up the prototype for what became the Renault Espace.

The 875kg car would be constructed from hand-crafted aluminium and built on a stainless steel chassis with a carbon fibre and plastic platform. Then there is, depending on your perspective, the elephant in the room or the car’s trump card – a V10 engine. Huh, you might say, this was the Noughties, everyone was falling over themselves to launch ten cylinder motors. True, except this V10 engine was a mere two litres in capacity. With a hefty supercharger bolted on, it was good for 335bhp. To suit the car’s compact dimensions, it was conceived as a narrow-angle engine using Italian-made cylinders that were based on those in the contemporary Smart car.

Development began in 2004 in Llanelli, and for a while looked promising. The design, while not exactly attractive, was certainly distinctive. It was launched at Goodwood in 2005, with a further prototype following later that year. Reviews lauded the engineering and noted plans to develop the range with a hybrid model and a naturally aspirated car. Prices would start at £42,000, topping out at £62,000 for the supercharged car, equivalent to around £110,000 today. Only 100 would be built.

You may be sensing a ‘but’ here. Of course, there is one. With the financial crash on the horizon, investment appetite for big bet, small-volume, British built GTs was not high. The funding dried up before any cars could reach production.

Thankfully, the story does not end there. Four prototypes were built, of which two are believed to have survived. One belongs to the consortium that bought up the rights to the car and its name, and it is fitted with the V10 engine. The other remains in private hands and is the car we have here.

Known as the ‘green and silver car’, it was used as a suspension development mule. The aluminium body features a distinctive two-tone finish, while inside there are grey and green suede seats with ‘Connaught’ branding and the signatures of the firm’s key players.

The car is fitted with a 2L Ford 4cyl engine. Tim Bishop specially chose this powerplant because it weighs about the same as the proposed V10. The body is complete, but the interior is only partially finished. Nevertheless, it has been used and properly enjoyed by the current keeper, who acquired it in 2009. He’s racked up most of the 10,000 miles.

The car was first UK registered in July 2006. In the intervening years, it has been used for UK and overseas trips.  The vendor reports that it handles brilliantly, apparently being particularly good at tail-sliding roundabout displays.

Throughout its life, it has been maintained by Tim Bishop. It is said to run and drive very well. A lengthy, advisory-free MOT to August 2026 underlines that point.

The big question for any buyer, then, is what to do with it? You could follow the seller’s lead and simply enjoy a hugely entertaining custom-built British GT with an evocative name, or you could choose to complete the car. That might involve finishing the interior or even going as far as getting a V10 engine built. The blueprints apparently exist to do exactly that. What a prospect that is…

In the 20-or so years since the Connaught project faltered, enthusiasts have debated and pondered this great ‘might have been.’ There are many forum threads and articles devoted to one of the most ambitious British motoring minnow projects of recent years. We’re with with you – we love this car and everything it stands for, particularly that elusive V10.

Whatever the future holds for this remarkable little car, we celebrate the pluck and brio of the team behind it. Connaught Motors is still developing ideas for evocative cars (you can find out more here)  and Tim Bishop is busy running Villiers Engineering in Norfolk where the 2L V10 is about to be dyno tested alongside a new 1.2L V6 version.

To find out more about the car and perhaps add one of the rarest British-built GTs to your collection, click here.