- More than 60 years after its race debut, the Lister Motor Company reveals road legal version of its landmark Knobbly
- Lister Knobbly is the first original specification continuation car to be fully eligible for IVA type approval
- Built at George Lister Engineering in Cambridge, using the original chassis jigs
- Three original engineers brought out of retirement to oversee construction
- First deliveries due in June 2018.
The Lister Motor Company has announced the first ever dedicated road-going version of the legendary Lister Knobbly sports racer.
More than 60 years after the original Lister Knobbly first raced, this celebrated competition car – one of the most successful in motor racing history – can finally be driven legally on the public highway.
Uniquely, the Lister Motor Company is the only manufacturer making original specification 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 due to the higher volume of the vehicles 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 powerplants fitted in the 1950s.
Engines are 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 pressure tested to ensure integrity. The aluminium body panels alone take around 500 hours to beat into the Knobbly’s distinctive shape.
Commenting on the introduction of the new road legal Lister Knobbly, Lawrence Whittaker, CEO Lister Motor Company, said: “I am really proud and excited that the Lister Motor Company has succeeded by being the first, and to date the only, specialist sports car maker to engineer and launch a fully road legal version of a racing continuation model.
“This is a hugely important step for us, making Lister the first to be able to offer our enthusiastic clients the excitement and thrills of driving a historically significant race car on the road. Our new road legal Knobbly also paves the way for more future road-going Lister models too.”
Just 10 of the new hand-built road-going Lister Knobbly continuation models will be built. Production is due to commence in September 2017 and the first customer deliveries planned for June 2018.
The most notable changes to the road-ready Knobbly, carefully integrated into the original design by Lister’s engineers, are:
- Collapsible steering Column
- Roll over protection
- Indicators, side repeater flashers and rear fog lamp
- Number plates front and rear
- Padded leather dashbard
- Push button switches
- Removal of wheel spinners for pedestrian safety
- Removal of windscreen, replaced with wind deflector
- Ratchet handbrake
- Rear view mirrors
- Sunken fuel filler cap
- Brake fluid and low fuel level warning lights
A Knobbly fitted with a 4.2-litre 6-Cylinder engine will be priced at £225,000 on-the-road, while a 3.8-litre with Dry Sump will be priced at £295,000.
