Lister

Lister logo image
  • FOUNDERS

      Brian Lister

  • Founded in
    • 1954
  • Headquarters city
    • Cambridge
  • Country
    • United Kingdom
  • Status
    • Active

Company

The Lister Motor Company Ltd. is a British sports car manufacturer founded in 1954 by Brian Lister in Cambridge, England. The company gained a reputation for its involvement in motorsport and produced several successful racing cars. In 1986, Laurence Pearce bought the company and began producing variants of the Jaguar XJS before creating a bespoke sports car, the Lister Storm. The company was later acquired by Lawrence Whittaker's Warrantywise in 2013, and production of the original sports car resumed in 2014. To celebrate Lister's 60th Anniversary, ten continuation Lister Jaguar Knobblys were built. The company also produced the Lister Knobbly Stirling Moss in 2016, and in 2018, the Lister LFT-666, based on the Jaguar F-Type, was announced.

History

The Lister Motor Company was founded by Brian Lister in 1954 in Cambridge, England. The company started by producing sports cars with a tubular ladder chassis, de Dion rear axle, and inboard drum brakes. The first Lister sports car used a tuned MG engine and stock gearbox, but later Lister swapped in a Bristol two-litre engine and knockoff wire wheels to improve performance. Lister then moved up to a six-cylinder motor from a Formula 2 Maserati A6GCS, while customers continued to receive the Bristol motor. In 1957, Lister redesigned the car around a 3.4 litre Jaguar D-type XK inline-six, with an aerodynamic aluminum body. The Lister-Jaguar entered international competitions and became known as the "Lister Knobbly" cars. In 1959, Lister hired aerodynamicist Frank Costin, who produced entirely new bodywork built around a new Chevrolet Corvette power plant. Lister later prepared the Sunbeam Tiger for the prototype category of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1963, but the cars suffered engine failures and the project led to the demise of Lister's tuning work.

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