Lister Cars back in business: Jaguar-based ‘Knobbly’ to return

Almost 25 years since the last Lister rolled off the production line, the three Lister companies (George Lister Engineering of Cambridge, Brian Lister Light Engineering and Lister Storm) have been united into one organisation that will herald the return of Lister’s celebrated 'Knobbly' Jaguar of the 1950s, so called because of its streamlined bodywork.

Consolidated into one new business named Lister Motor Company Limited, the group has invested in a new state-of-the-art facility in Cambridge that will enable George Lister Engineering to produce cars near identical to those of 1958.

The new Listers’ will be race-ready ‘out of the box’ cars supplied with race proven, Jaguar D-Type-specification engines and gearboxes from world-renowned experts, Crosthwaite & Gardener, while all race preparation and track commissioning will be undertaken by historic Jaguar specialist Chris Keith Lucas of CKL Developments.

The curvaceous Knobbly body will be re-created using the original Shapecraft body bucks by Clive Smart and Adrian Breeze.

Heading up the project is Mark Hallam, technical director of George Lister Engineering and Jerry Booen of D-Type Developments.

Lawrence Whittaker, CEO of Warranty Wise and the investor in the project, said, “Anyone with a fondness for British sports car manufacturing and with an understanding of Lister’s remarkable Heritage should be rightly excited by this news. The Lister ‘Knobbly’ was a powerful, giant-killing racing car in it’s heyday, and with all the expertise we have brought together for this project, I can promise that the new Lister will be a fabulously exciting and desirable car.”

A series of Lister-sponsored historic race meetings is planned for 2015, to celebrate the 125th year anniversary of Lister.

Among the extensive list of drivers who campaigned the Lister Jaguar was Sir Stirling Moss (pictured above).