1958 Lister-Jaguar 3.8-Litre 'Knobbly' Sports-racer
Registration no. BHL113 (see text)

"This car offers the best combined price to performance, power to weight, and power to frontal area ratios available anywhere in the world for a sports car. The 1957 racing season has now ended and out of the 14 races for which they were entered Scott-Brown and the Lister-Jaguar won 11, finished second in one, and had minor mechanical trouble in the other two when in the lead, nevertheless setting up the fastest lap in both races. They have also either equalled or broken the existing unlimited sports car lap record during either the racing or at practice on all circuits where they have appeared." - Lister Press Release, October 1957.

A director of his family's Cambridge-based light engineering firm, Brian Lister was better placed than most to become a racing car designer. He enlisted the considerable talents of Don Moore and Archie Scott-Brown to help with engine tuning and driving respectively, and built his first car in 1954. The MG XPAG-powered Lister proved an immediate success, notching up five 1st and eight 2nd places in short order. Upgraded that summer with a Bristol straight six, the Lister won its class during the British Grand Prix support race and throughout the 1955 and '56 UK racing seasons was a serious thorn in the side of both the Aston Martin and Jaguar works teams.

With Shell/BP backing and a Jaguar engine supply deal, Brian Lister stepped up a gear to build a car capable of contesting the World Sports Car Championship. Debuting at Snetterton on 31st March 1957, the first 'official' Lister-Jaguar took pole position and set fastest lap (though clutch failure denied it victory). The following month, Lister's prototype proved itself the class of the field with dominant overall victories at both the British Empire Trophy race (Oulton Park) and the Easter Monday Sussex Trophy race (Goodwood). Capable of showing a dean pair of exhaust pipes to both the ageing Jaguar D-Type and new Aston Martin DBR1, the Lister-Jaguar was quite simply a revelation.

Production properly commenced in 1958 with an Appendix C compliant version boasting a 10% reduction in frontal area. A riot of swooping wheelarches and air scoops punctuated by a pronounced bonnet bulge and shallow windscreen, it was affectionately christened the 'Knobbly'. One of Lister's many customers was the American millionaire private entrant Briggs Cunningham, who ordered two with Jaguar XK power and a third to accept a Chevrolet V8. The combination of the Lister chassis and lightweight Chevy engine proved immensely successful, Cunningham's cars dominating both the 1958 and 1959 SCCA Championships. For the latter season the Lister had been redesigned with sleeker bodywork by legendary aerodynamicist Frank Costin. However, by this time the writing was on the wall for front-engined sports-racers and Lister closed at the end of 1959. Opinions differ with regard to how many were made, quoted figures ranging from as few as 34 to as many as 50.

In conversation with the highly respected motoring historian and author (and Bonhams consultant) Doug Nye, Brian Lister stated that it is very unlikely they would have used the number '13' or '113' or even '2013' on account of the number's supposedly unlucky connotations, which must cast some doubt upon this car's origins. What is known is that 'BHL113' was owned and campaigned by Dr Philippe Renault during the 1970s before being sold by him in 1979 to Roland Urban: past president of the French Jaguar Club, author of several books on the marque, and a respected collector and Historic racer.

As seen today, the Lister is as it finished its last race in 2014 (Les Deux Tours d'Horloge) shortly before Roland Urban died. Unchanged from 1979, the car is complete but requires restoration. The engine has a wide-angle cylinder head which is however cracked, thereby ending the car's competition participation in 2014. The car comes with FIA papers (issued in 1989) plus numerous press cuttings relating to its participation in events at Montlhéry, Magny Cours and other venues.

This is a rare opportunity to acquire an ultra-fast classic sports-racer eligible for many of the top historic events and, once restored, capable of winning them in the right hands!

Please note that if this vehicle is to remain in the UK, it will be subject to Import VAT at the reduced rate of 5% on the hammer price. It will also require a NOVA (Notification of Vehicle Arrival) and an additional fee of £350 (plus VAT) will be charged on the Invoice to prepare the NOVA. This vehicle will not be available for immediate collection after the sale and will only be released on completion of customs clearance. If you have any questions regarding customs clearance, please contact the Bonhams Motorcar Department or our recommended shippers.