The Lister Motor Company Ltd. is a British sports car manufacturer founded by Brian Lister in 1954 in Cambridge, England, which became known for its involvement in motorsport. Sold in 1986, Laurence Pearce produced variants of the Jaguar XJS before producing a bespoke sports car, the Lister Storm. In 2013, Lister Cars was acquired by Lawrence Whittaker’s company Warrantywise. Production of the original sports car restarted in 2014 and ten continuation Lister Jaguar Knobblys were built to celebrate Lister’s 60th Anniversary. In 2016, the company announced the build and sale of the Lister Knobbly Stirling Moss. On 31 January 2018, the Lister LFT-666 (previously called the Lister Thunder) based on the Jaguar F-Type was announced.
Established
1954
Headquarters
Cambridge, United Kingdom
History
Beginning in 1954, company manager and racing driver Brian Lister brought out the first in a series of sports cars from a Cambridge iron works. Inspired by Cooper, he used a tubular ladder chassis, de Dion rear axle and inboard drum brakes. Like others, he used a tuned MG engine and stock gearbox. It made its debut at the British Empire Trophy at Oulton Park in 1954, with former MG driver Archie Scott Brown at the wheel. Later, Lister swapped in a Moore-tuned Bristol two-litre engine and knockoff wire wheels in place of the MG’s discs to improve performance. For the sports car race supporting the 1954 British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Scott Brown won the two-litre class and placed fifth overall behind only works Aston Martins.
In 1955, a handful of Lister-Bristols built with a new body built by an ex-Bristol employee with the aid of a wind tunnel. Despite its new fins and strakes, it was less successful than the original Lister-Bristol of 1954. Lister moved up to a six-cylinder motor from a Formula 2 Maserati A6GCS for their own car. While customers continued to receive the Bristol motor, sold for ₤3900. Lister also attempted single-seater racing with a multi-tube chassis powered by a Coventry-Climax motor and using an MG gearbox, but the car was a failure.
More Information
For 1957, Lister redesigned the car around a 3.4 litre Jaguar D-type XK inline-six, with an aerodynamic aluminium body. It tested by racing journalist John Bolster, performing a 0–100 mph (0–160 km/h) run in 11.2 seconds. Driver Archie Scott Brown won the 1957 British Empire Trophy in the new Lister-Jaguar. Refined again in 1958, the Lister-Jaguar entered international competitions. Brown killed that season when he crashed the Lister-Jaguar at Spa-Francorchamps. Lister also developed another single-seater car based on the Lister-Jaguar. For use in the unique Race of Two Worlds at Monza. Cars from this era affectionately known as the “Lister Knobbly” cars, due to their curved bodywork.
Lister Thunder
In January 2018, Lister announced the much awaited Lister Thunder. The Thunder, a modified Jaguar F-Type R features a tuned version of the 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine as utilised in the Jaguar F-Type SVR, generating 666 PS (490 kW; 657 hp) at 6,000 rpm and a peak torque of 976 N⋅m (720 lb⋅ft) achieved by dual modified supercharger pulleys. A modified intercooler, an improved air intake system and a different ECU. The Thunder is capable of accelerating from 0–62 mph (0–100 km/h) in 3.2 seconds and attaining a maximum speed of 208 mph (335 km/h). The four-wheel drive layout and the 8-speed ZF automatic transmission with torque converterare retained from the F-Type while a Quicksilver titanium exhaust system saves 10 kg (22 lb) of weight. The car features light weight 21-inch alloy wheels, acid green accents and brake callipers.
