Monday 13th February 1922
Born on this day, Mike Oliver, an ex-RAF pilot and co-founder of the Connaught marque alongside Rodney Clarke. They first built sports cars, then Formula 2 single seaters before aspiring in 1954-55 to Formula 1. Mike Oliver acted as team manager as well as chief engineer for the 1955 Syracuse Grand Prix, won by their driver Tony Brooks and boosting the British motor racing industry. In 1957 Connaught was forced to close down, having completely run out of money, and Oliver, a former RAF pilot, become Folland’s chief test pilot developing a training plane for the RAF’s Red Arrows.