Lister Lister Knobbly History

By 1957 Brian Lister had moved on from Bristol power to a 3.4-litre Jaguar D-type XK inline-six, mated to an aerodynamic all-aluminium body that instantly earned the 'Knobbly' nickname from the pronounced curves formed around its mechanical components. The car's lightweight tubular chassis and slippery shape made it competitive against factory entries from much larger manufacturers.

Scottish driver Archie Scott Brown won the 1957 British Empire Trophy in the Lister-Jaguar and went on to dominate British club racing almost at will, the Knobbly proving virtually unbeatable on UK circuits. The combination of Brown's car-control virtuosity and the Lister's pace made the pairing a near-guaranteed winner. Tragically, Brown was killed at Spa-Francorchamps in May 1958 during the Belgian sports-car race when his car left the road, a loss that cast a shadow over the marque.

Lister continued development through 1958 and into 1959, fitting some cars with a Chevrolet V8 to American customer order (the Lister-Chevrolet), with aerodynamicist Frank Costin designing revised bodywork. Customer car production of the Knobbly continued in small numbers through 1959, when the company withdrew from works competition. The total number of Knobblies built across all engine variants is estimated at around 40 cars. Lawrence Whittaker's Lister later produced ten licensed continuation Knobblies for the 2014 60th-anniversary and ten Stirling Moss Edition cars in 2016 at £1 million each.