1959 Lister Costin Jaguar

History

The Jaguar D-Type sports racer was a very dominant machine due to its excellent performance and handling characteristics. As such, there was a strong demand from Jaguar to continue to produce sports cars. In 1957 a fire at a factory and Jaguar's withdrawal from racing saw the production of the D-Type come to a close. As a result, others stepped in to produce racers based on Jaguar components. One of the more successful of these creations was designed and built by Brian Lister. His first racers came on the scene in 1954 and often competed against stiff competition such as the Aston Martins and Jaguar D-Tpes. Archie Scott-Brown was one of the more memorable drivers who piloted the Lister-built machines to many podium finishes and dominated the British racing car scene in 1957, winning 11 out of the 14 races. The 1957 Lister / Jaguar machine was constructed of a lightweight steel space frame chassis and bodied in an aluminum body. Its body was lumpy, and thus, it was given the nickname 'Knobbly'. Development continued throughout the years with seventeen examples being created, with most going to the United States. The first two examples were built for the legendary American sportsman Briggs Cunningham. Seven examples were delivered to Jim Hall and Carrol Shelby who outfitted them with Chevrolet power plants.

In 1959 the aerodynamics were changed and fitted with modified bodies designed by Frank Costin, an aeronautical engineer. The lines were smoothed out considerably, but the changes increased the frontal area and had a detrimental effect on the vehicle's aerodynamics. As a result, it had a lower top speed. In total, eleven examples were built, with two being powered by Jaguar engines.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2007