Description:

1958 Lister-Jaguar 'Knobbly'

SOLD for €1.375m plus commission.

Chassis No.BHL 105

Documents: UK V5

To be offered on Friday, 9 June 2023. For details on how to bid please follow the link below.

€1,450,000 - €1,800,000 EUR $1,550,000 - $1,950,000 USD

£1,250,000 - £1,550,000 GBP CHF1,600,000 - CHF2,000,000

• One of fastest big-engined sports racing cars of the late-1950s
• Widely recognised as one of the most original Listers in existence
• The only ‘Knobbly’ to race at Le Mans
• Known provenance from new and offered from 26 years of single ownership
• A stalwart of the Goodwood Revival having raced at the first meeting in 1998 and nearly every year since
• Lovingly maintained by Chris Keith-Lucas of CKL Developments for the past 26 years

Please note this vehicle is titled as 1962. 

Veuillez noter que ce véhicule est une année-modèle 1962.

Addendum: Please note this lot has entered the EU on a temporary import bond, which must be cancelled either by exporting the lot outside of the EU on an approved Bill of Lading with supporting customs documentation or by paying the applicable VAT and import duties to have the lot remain in the EU.

Veuillez noter que ce lot a été introduit dans l'UE avec un cautionnement d'importation temporaire, qui devra être soldé par réexportation hors de l'UE avec un connaissement (bon de chargement) accompagné de ses documents douaniers, ou par paiement de la TVA et des droits de douane applicables s'il doit demeurer dans l'UE.

The legend around the Lister marque was born out of five years of racing success, beginning with the debut of the Lister-Jaguar. The ‘Knobbly’ combined a lightweight chassis with a low centre of gravity and D-type powertrain. It was a world-beating design, and only Aston Martin’s DBR2 was capable of besting the car when in the hands of Archie Scott Brown.

Lister’s success naturally attracted other teams, one of which was Equipe Nationale Belge (ENB). Formed by Johnny Claes and Jacques Swaters as a sister team to Ecurie Francorchamps, ENB competed at the highest levels including Formula 1.

Delivered new in early-1958 to team manager, Pierre Stasse, chassis BHL 105 was painted in the reverse of Lister factory colours of yellow with a green stripe and nose. Its debut was at the Daily Express Trophy Meeting at Silverstone on 3 May 1958. Freddy Rousselle was behind the wheel and finished in an unknown position, but he contributed towards Lister collecting the Team Award. The next race was two weeks later at the Grand Prix de Spa, where Rousselle finished a fine 6th.

Chassis BHL 105’s most significant race would be the 1958 24 Hours of Le Mans. To meet the World Sportscar Championship 3-litre maximum capacity, Jaguar provided de-stroked engines, which proved extremely troublesome. Chassis BHL 105 was raced by Rousselle and Claude Dubois, entered alongside the Ferrari 250 Testa Rossas of ENB and Ecurie Francorchamps. Unfortunately, a con-rod failure after four hours spelled the end of the race for the Lister, but it had fared better than the Ecurie Ecosse D-Types.

After Le Mans, chassis BHL 105 was shipped to Jaguar’s Browns Lane factory for a replacement engine. Clandestinely, Norman Dewis and Malcolm Sayer took chassis BHL 105 to the MIRA proving ground and wind tunnel for development and aerodynamic analysis. Unbeknown to ENB, this may have taken life out of the engine, as it later failed in practice for the RAC Tourist Trophy at Goodwood.

A week after Goodwood, chassis BHL 105 was raced at the MCMC Oulton Park International sports car race by André Pilette, where he finished 5th overall. The Lister’s final period race was at the Eläintarhanajo-Djurgärdsloppet. In practice, Pilette lost control and damaged the rear. As a result, chassis BHL 105 missed the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans.

At the end of the 1959 season, the ‘Knobbly’ passed to Ray Fielding, the well-known hillclimber and Maserati collector, who repaired the car and thankfully saved the damaged tail rather than replacing it. Chassis BHL 105 passed through several known owners before eventually reaching the care of the consigning owner in 1997.

Upon receiving this historic Lister, the current owner commissioned a restoration with marque expert Chris Keith-Lucas (of Lynx and now CKL Developments). During the restoration, Chris confirmed that BHL 105 retains its original chassis and body, including rare features such as a full-length scuttleless bonnet with early-style front wings—sadly very few Listers can claim similar levels of originality. The restoration was finished in time for the first edition of the Goodwood Revival, where it became a fan favourite at the hands of Tiff Needell. Since the 1998 meeting, this Lister has taken part in nearly all of the Goodwood Revival meetings. Furthermore, chassis BHL 105 has been a multiple participant at the Le Mans Classic.

Only one Lister-Jaguar ‘Knobbly’ ever raced at the Circuit de la Sarthe and thankfully it remains as one of the most original Listers in existence. This remarkable 1950s sports car sat on grids alongside factory entries from Aston Martin, Ferrari, and Porsche, and is available at a fraction of the cost of comparable big-engined sports cars of the period. This wonderful Lister is offered for sale from 26 years of single ownership, and would be the entry-ticket for the next owner to some of the world’s finest motorsport and concours events.

To be offered on Friday, 9 June 2023. For details on how to bid please follow the link below.

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