The company making what it claims is the world’s first hybrid sports coupé has set itself the target of becoming the UK’s biggest indigenous carmaker.

The original Connaught was known for innovation in racecar design and motorsports, and as the winner of the 1955 Syracuse grand prix. But its namesake, revived in 2002, is now a low-volume car maker.

The flagship car for the low-volume company will be the Connaught Type-D H sports coupé equipped with a high-performance hybrid engine.

Kevin Eagling, technical director for Connaught, said: “Our hybrid is different in that we connect the electric motor directly to the crankshaft. With the others you have the petrol engine and the electric engine in parallel, meaning you can use either petrol or electric, or both. Ours is a series hybrid using both – you cannot use just one or the other.

“We have connected the electric motor to the end of the crankshaft with a CVT transmission which has got something like a 3:1 efficiency ratio. This allows us to have a very small, 10kW electric motor, but with the three to one advantage of the CVT it’s roughly 30 kW with three times the torque figure.”

Connaught’s engineering centre is in Daventry, while actual production takes place in Coventry. The company employs just 15 people.

Eagling said: “When the company first started looking at producing a car, to meet all the requirements in terms of emissions it was decided it needed to be a hybrid – not because we wanted to build a hybrid, but because we needed to meet the 2010 regulations for emissions and give reasonable fuel economy and good performance.

“We looked into hybrid technology three years ago, saw what other companies were doing and how we could improve on them. We then developed our own.”

The hybrid is capable of speeds of 140mph, accelerates from 0-60mph in 6.5s and returns 42mpg while complying with 2010 emissions targets.

Connaught is set to produce two versions of the coupé – the Type-D H hybrid and a non-hybrid GT variety, including a special run of 100 Connaught Type-D GT “Syracuse” cars, named for the 50th anniversary of the Syracuse victory. Both will be going on sale in 2007, although at present the company is appealing for funding to bring the hybrid to market earlier.

Production will be up to 150 per year for the GTs, and Connaught hopes the hybrid will reach as many as 2,000.

Eagling said: “The cars are completely British designed, built and owned. If everything goes to plan, we will be the biggest British manufacturer.”