Well-documented, authentic example with traceable history. Injected Chevrolet power plant by Ed Pink. Rolex Reunion veteran.1958 Lister Chevrolet Knobbly Sports RacerChassis Number – BHL-18Exterior Color – Yellow and Dark GreenInterior Color – Green Engine Type – 339 cu. in. Chevrolet V8 by Ed PinkGearbox – 4-Speed Muncie Marque and Model HistoryEstablished in 1954 by enthusiast and race car driver Brian Lister, Lister set up shop in Cambridge, England immediately engaging in motorsports endeavors. Inspired by Cooper cars of the era, Listers were assembled using a tubular ladder frame chassis, de Dion rear axles, and rear inboard drum brakes. Though earlier examples were powered by four-cylinder engines of British origin, more powerful engines were being considered by 1957 when a newer variant was built around the Jaguar D-type inline six-cylinder engine. These cars would become known as “Lister Knobbly” cars due to their curvaceous body work. Much success followed as cars entered North America where US built V8 engines could be readily installed providing substantial horsepower in compact packages suitable for the front engine layout. History of this Car
The ownership of this Lister is known and undoubted. According to the definitive Doug Nye book “Powered by Jaguar” documenting Lister cars, this Lister was built to accept a Chevrolet V8 engine as directed by Brian Lister (Light Engineering) Ltd, Abbey Road, Cambridge and delivered to Carroll Shelby Sports Cars Inc. Dallas, TX, 1958. The first owner, Ronnie Hissom, Midland, TX raced the car in the 1958 and 1959 racing season, sparring with local racers including Jim Hall, Hap Sharp, and Dave Morgan to name a few. The car was quite unique in its first iteration painted blue and powered by a Chevrolet engine sporting a massive GMC blower protruding through the top of the hood. American press reporting on the car referred to it as the “Tower of Power” due to the height and power of the V8 engine. Though not as effective on a road racing track, upon returning home from a day at the races, the crew stopped at a nearby quarter-mile track and turned a respectable 125 mph pass in the GMC blown V8 Lister. By 1960 the car was offered for sale in Southern California and sold to Anson Johnson (former WW2 fighter ace and captain for National Airlines) and David Lane, Florida. In 1962, Lane engaged Johnson to race the car at Daytona, completing 30 laps at this event. Later that same year the car was entered in the SCCA Divisional Championship at Daytona, this time with driver Graham Shaw listed. Shortly thereafter, Nick Davidson purchased the car but was unable to enjoy it due to his untimely passing. Though the car remained with his estate, the car was eventually acquired in the mid 1980s by Dale Powers and Joe Pendergast. At that time, the car was known to have the original chassis and nearly all of the factory aluminum bodywork confirmed by photos from the Hissom era and documented by the Vintage Motorsport Educational Foundation/Syd Silverman (a former owner), New York, 2005.
With ongoing participation in vintage events spanning decades, restorations with photo documentation in 1984, 2007, and again in 2012, this Lister-Chevrolet has been campaigned by a litany of vintage racing enthusiasts backed by the very best in motorsports preparation. After driving this car, Vintage Motorsport Magazine writer D. Randy Riggs summed up the restored Lister-Chevrolet in 2008 “The Lister-Chevy is a friendly beast, requiring a driver’s complete attention every second of every lap, especially when powering out of a second gear turn. It wants to jump right out from under you, representing the very last of the 1950s front-engine sports racing cars, an era long gone, but one that lives on each time these cars make a charge for a waving green flag.”
The current owner owns and maintains his own private racing team including engineers and premier builders. Having advanced to his senior years, he now engages younger drivers racing and maintaining Porsche 962s and Riley Daytona Prototypes. Under private team care, this Lister has benefited greatly from regular services and top-tier preparation. Accompanied by a five-page listing of racing history covering 1958-2011, unbroken ownership history, numerous racing logbooks, and detailed track notations, some of the more recent vintage racing events this car has participated in include 2009 Wine Country Classic, 2010 Sonoma Historics, 2011 Wheels of Wellness and Sonoma Historics, 2014 Sonoma Raceway Charity Challenge, and participation at the 2018 Amelia Island Concours. As is not uncommon with race cars of this era, a parallel car presented with Lister branding was constructed in the 1980s and has been represented with irregular references to the same BHL 18 chassis number. The non-original car has been refuted by the Lister archivist and other Lister experts and is known by Lister historians and experts to be a replica, not an original example.
General OverviewToday this historically important Lister has been faithfully restored and comprehensively rebuilt to a very high standard, yet the inside of the body retains tell-tail visual evidence of use and modifications consistent with its period racing history. The build, components, and finishes are reflective of quality workmanship, expert construction, and exterior finishes consistent with vintage competition use. The hand formed aluminum body is finished in yellow and dark green which accents the undulating body lines reflecting the heritage behind the “Knobbly” moniker. The exterior finish is glossy and in excellent condition overall with typical front facing stone chips as one might find on a car that has been driven in racing events. The massive fenders, imposing stance, and powerful engine give the car an impressive presence. Lurking under the hood, the impressive Ed Pink Racing 339 cu. in V8 wet sump engine delivers 400 hp with 500 lb. ft. torque running Hilborn Fuel Injection and tubular headers. Legendary engine builders at Ed Pink Racing prepared the engine aptly identified on the valve covers. A set of Halibrand Kidney Bean 6” x 16” wheels are mounted shod with Dunlop racing 6” x 16” front and 6.5” x 16” rear tires. The impressive suspension includes parallel coil spring front and de Dion tube with coil spring rear along with 12” Girling disc brakes. The roadster cockpit is surrounded by a plexiglass windscreen and topped by a rollbar passing through the rear body sections. The interior is trimmed with matching dark green material and features raw aluminum finishes, the dash is clean and very well laid out with excellent driving position for the pilot, and a padded seat cushion awaits the next brave passenger. A newer Kirkey aluminum racing seat and an older racing harness complete the interior. A modern OMP halon fire suppression system is installed, and a new fuel cell is in place. The GM Muncie 4-speed manual transmission gear selector sits readily at hand while multiple instrumentation and various switches monitor key engine operational features. Under the forward tilting hood, the Ed Pink Racing V8 engine proudly boasts both power and legendary status since it was built some years ago. The front coil over suspension, steering rack, and other suspension and frame details are quite advanced for the late 1950s especially considering Lister was financially supported solely by their racing endeavors. Much of their construction ingenuity was intuitive and yet highly effective particularly for front engine cars. Currently this Lister starts, runs, steers, and stops and has a wonderful exhaust note. Although much of this car has been faithfully restored to a high standard and professionally maintained including necessary modern upgrades for safety and durability, we recommend that a professional race shop review this car prior to driving in a competition setting. This is a fantastic opportunity to acquire a historically important Lister combining known history since new, period racing history, ongoing contemporary vintage event history, and high-quality preparation. With exceptional work performed by experts, this Lister is ready to offer the next fortunate owner an opportunity to experience one of the most exhilarating 1950s front engine sports racers ever conceived. The superb mechanical preparation, recent long-term expert ownership, and astonishing performance are certain to continue the Lister V8 performance legend for years to come. Included with this CarThis car is accompanied by two large notebooks containing significant documentation supporting the history of the car, restoration photos, and various literature, a display placard and carry case, car cover, multiple racing logbooks spanning decades of racing, and a pair of handwritten notebooks documenting various settings and race event preparation.