Page 38 - Classics Issue

The Lister Motor Company has announced the frst ever dedicated road-going version of the legendary Lister Knobbly sports racer.More than 60 years after the original Lister Knobbly frst raced, this celebrated competition car – one of the most successful in motor racing history – can fnally be driven legally on the public highway.Uniquely, the Lister Motor Company is the only manufacturer making original specifcation continuation cars that are eligible for IVA type approval and therefore fully-legal for registration and road use. Other continuation specials built by larger marques are strictly limited to track use only, as they’re unable to qualify for low-volume approval because of the total number of cars they produce.Unlike some ‘replica’ or ‘retro’ sports cars, the Lister Knobbly is not a classic shape on top of modern mechanicals. Beneath its hand-beaten aluminium body is a six-cylinder Jaguar 3.8-litre engine and four-speed gearbox, which is almost identical to the D-Type power plants ftted in the 1950s. The Engines are being built using all-new remanufactured parts around original Jaguar blocks, assembled by experts from Crosthwaite & Gardiner. Despite the ‘old school’ technology, the engine is still capable of an impressive 330bhp – enough to power the 787kg Knobbly to 181mph and accelerate from 0-60mph in just 4.3 seconds.The tubular chassis is made from seamless engineering tube using the original jigs, and all welds are then pressure tested to ensure integrity. The aluminium body panels alone take around 500 hours to beat into the Knobbly’s distinctive shape.Lawrence Whittaker the CEO of Lister Motor Company, commenting on the introduction of the new road legal Lister Knobbly said: “I am really proud and excited that the Lister Motor Company has succeeded by LISTER KNOBBLYThey say good things are worth waiting for, so it seems, as after sixty years since its racing debut, The Lister Motor Company announce the return of Knobbly to the road.