Lister Motor Co. is back in business, apparently

This summer has been a big one for fans of limited-production British automakers. First, we heard that TVR has returned, or is at least planning to return, with production expected to resume in 2015.

Now we're getting word that Lister Motor Co., which built the remarkable Lister “Knobbly” Jaguar cars, is getting a new lease on life. But if TVR is on the verge of rebirth, Lister seems to be undergoing more of a revival: The company, which began building cars in 1954 and halted production nearly 25 years ago, plans to keep on going as if it were 1958.

Incredibly, many of the designers and mechanics involved with Lister in its golden age -- including founder Brian Lister -- are on board with the project. But the authenticity runs even deeper than personnel; new Lister “Knobbly” Jaguar bodies will be formed on the original bucks, though a Lister release includes mention (near requisite these days) of advanced production technologies like CNC machining and 3-D scanning.

According to Lister officials, these hand-formed aluminum Lister bodies will then receive period-appropriate Jaguar D-type specification engines and transmissions sourced from Crosthwaite & Gardiner.

The purpose of this enterprise (as if it needed one) is to produce turn-key cars ready and legal for use in vintage racing. We hope that Lister can be persuaded to let a few bodies go sans drivetrains, though -- there are plenty of hot Ford V8s and Chevy engines to cram into that aerodynamic aluminum bodywork, and students of performance history will remember that Carroll Shelby and Jim Hall were giving these sweet British roadsters American hearts before the AC Cobra hit the track.

Lister Motor Cars
Lister says its "Knobbly" bodies will be formed on the original bucks by master craftsmen.

By Graham Kozak