LISTER. Brian Lister's sports-racing cars bridged a gap in the late 1950s, between the fading of

Brian Lister's sports-racing cars bridged a gap in the late 1950s, between the fading of the Jaguars and the new breed of lightweight rear-engined cars. They were a sideline for a light engineering com-pany, for whom enthusiasm and publicity were not sufficient to justify the continuation of the marque into a new age, with its predictable sophistication and high costs. The first Lister appeared in 1954, with a large-diameter tube chassis and de Dion rear end, and with an MG engine. This gave way to a Bristol engine in the following year, and Lister-Bristols began to make a mark in the 2-litre class. A Maserati engine was successfully used for a season, then in 1957 Lister built his first car with a 34-litre Jaguar D-type straight-six. The following year this went into 'production' (fewer than 40 were built) as the definitive Lister. The basic chassis was retained, consisting of 8cm diameter main members cross-braced by tubes and the floor pan, with box sections to carry the front suspension and a de Dion rear end. Although international races were then rim under a 3-litre limit, and cars intended for championship events were fitted with Jaguar units at that capacity, most Listers appeared with 34-or 3.8-litre Jaguar engines, or the small-block Chevrolet V-8 in sizes up to 5.7 litres. The latter were fitted by Lister's US

agent, Carroll Shelby (with GM gearboxes instead of the Jaguar unit), rated as high as 400bhp — considerably more than the Jaguar engine and, save perhaps in the most extreme state of tune, with greater reliability. Whatever the engine, it was mounted well back, and combined with tanks at the rear, this gave a weight distribution of 50/50. In appearance, these Listers were extraordinarily belligerent, with prominent wheel arches and a bulge over the engine, which in cars run under international regulations rather cleverly offset part of the effect of the mandatory 25cm-deep windscreen, as on these Listers the base line for this measurement was well below the top line of the bonnet (in the USA, especially, smaller screens tended to be used). Down the years many cars were modified, and together with the introduction of the smoother, marginally longer and wider, Costin-designed body in 1959, this was to lead to some discussion about the eligibility of some Listers for historic races ... In international events the fragility of the 3-litre versions of the Jaguar engine told against the Listers, but with the larger power units used in lesser British and American races they were highly successful. A spaceframe design was essayed for 1960, but only one car was built and the Lister line ended.

Specification (Lister-Jaguar) Engine: Jaguar straight-six; 76.5 x 83mm, 2986cc; twin ohc; Weber carburettors; 254bhp at 6300rpm (see text). Gearbox: four-speed manual. Chassis: tubular; front suspension independent by equal-length wishbones, coil springs, dampers and anti-roll bar; rear suspension by de Dion tube, radius arms, coil springs and dampers; four-wheel disc brakes. Dimensions: wheelbase 230cm/901in; front track 136cm/53i-in; rear track 140cm/55in.