Numerous privateer racing drivers were minded to build their own car in the 1950s, with each experiencing varying degrees of luck on the track. Brian Lister had the money and the engineering know-how, so his first racing car was built with the able assistance of Don Moore and Archie Scott-Brown. The car was an incredible success, achieving strong podium finishes wherever it roamed. The company’s success with MG- and Bristol-powered cars was such that Lister soon had the financial backing of BP and Shell, also securing a deal with Jaguar for the supply engines that thrust Lister into contention for the World Sports Car Championship. The result was the Lister-Jaguar, which eventually developed into the now-legendary ‘Knobbly’, nicknamed for its curvaceous-but-rather bumpy bodywork. Nothing performed like a Lister ‘Knobbly’, and nothing quite looked like one either.

Eventually, as often happened in the 1950s, a US-built engine was dropped into a British-built sports car. The result was the Lister-Chevrolet. It boasted lively performance and was more than competitive—soon becoming “the car to beat”, as the Listers swept the SCCA Championships in 1958 and 1959. Unfortunately, the success of the Lister-Chevrolet came towards the end of the manufacturer’s lifespan, and production was wound down during 1959. Fewer than 50 cars had been produced by this point; only 16 of which were Chevrolet-powered.

The cars were virtually forgotten for many years but their popularity is enjoying a resurgent rise, with a new generation of owners realising the performance that once delighted friends and terrified enemies. The short supply of Listers when new—twinned with the relatively few that have survived the hard life of a track car—has added to the model’s increasing desirability. They are wonderful vintage racing machines, and remain capable of holding their own against any other front-engined sportscars from the period.

THE FIFTH PRODUCTION ‘COSTIN’ LISTER: CHASSIS BHL 127

As the fifth example built, chassis BHL 127 was believed to have been constructed to accept a Chevrolet V-8 engine and sold new to the United States. Reportedly, it was first owned by Chuck Howard, and later sold to Tracy Bird. Both are said to have competed in period competitions. Chassis BHL 127’s story from here becomes more convoluted with differing theories, with the car essentially lost from view entirely.

Emerging in England in the early 1980s, a partially complete Lister with a 1958-specification chassis and a new ‘Knobbly’ body was reported to be owned by a John Charles. He, alongside Barry Simpson, sold this Lister to David Clark in March 1991. Historic FIA papers indicate Charles purchased chassis BHL 127 in July 1980, and that he carried out a restoration from 1989 to 1990.

Clark competed in a variety of historic competitions in the 1990s, and later the Lister was acquired by Jamie McIntyre who fielded the car in numerous events from 2007 to 2010. He won the 2008 and 2010 Sussex Trophy races at the Goodwood Revival, as well as setting the fastest lap at every event it attended in 2010. Sold at auction in 2013, chassis BHL 127 entered The Paul Andrews Collection, where it stayed for two years, before the consigning owner acquired this Lister in 2015. During their ownership, the car has competed at Goodwood Revival and Silverstone Classic.

As with many British racing sports cars of the 1950s and 1960s, the history is not always clear, but chassis BHL 127 has a definitive record of being a highly competitive vehicle in the historic racing circuit. It is highly eligible for events such as Goodwood Revival and the Members’ Meeting, as well as Silverstone Classic and Le Mans Classic.