1958 Lister Jaguar 'Knobbly'
- Engine
- De-stroked Jaguar inline-six (D-type derived), ~3.0L capacity
- Colour
- Yellow with green stripe and nose
Lister-Jaguar 'Knobbly' chassis BHL 105, delivered new in early 1958 to Equipe Nationale Belge team manager Pierre Stasse, is the only example of its type to have started the Le Mans 24 Hours, competing there in 1958 with Freddy Rousselle and Claude Dubois before a connecting-rod failure ended the run. Following period racing across Belgium, Britain, and Finland, the car passed to hillclimber Ray Fielding, then through several subsequent owners before a comprehensive restoration by marque specialist Chris Keith-Lucas (CKL Developments) in the late 1990s confirmed it retains its original chassis and bodywork. Since 1998 it has been a regular competitor at the Goodwood Revival and Le Mans Classic.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold €1,551,875 (≈ $1.71M)
- 1958 →Factory deliveryPierre Stassepartial documentation
Stasse was team manager of Equipe Nationale Belge and took delivery of the car new in early 1958; the car was painted in reversed factory colours for ENB use.
- 1959 →Acquisition unknownRay Fieldingpartial documentation
Noted hillclimber and Maserati enthusiast who repaired the rear damage sustained in Finland and preserved the original damaged tail rather than replacing it.
- 1997 →Acquisition unknownCurrent consigning ownerfull documentation
Acquired after passing through several intermediate owners; commissioned a full restoration by marque specialist Chris Keith-Lucas and campaigned the car extensively at Goodwood Revival and Le Mans Classic over 26 years.
Competition
- 1958Grand Prix de SpaDriver: Freddy Rousselle6th
Held approximately two weeks after the Silverstone round.
- 1958World Sportscar Championship1958 Le Mans 24 HoursDriver: Freddy RousselleDNF — con-rod failure
Co-driven by Claude Dubois; retirement came around the four-hour mark due to engine failure; Jaguar had supplied reduced-displacement units to comply with the 3-litre championship limit.
- 1958RAC Tourist TrophyDNS — engine failure in practice
Engine expired during practice at Goodwood; suspected that earlier clandestine MIRA testing by Jaguar staff had contributed to premature engine wear.
- 1958MCMC Oulton Park International Sports Car RaceDriver: André Pilette5th overall
Held one week after the Goodwood Tourist Trophy practice failure.
- 1958Eläintarhanajo-DjurgärdsloppetDriver: André PiletteDNF — accident in practice
Pilette lost control during practice and damaged the rear of the car, ruling out participation in the 1959 Le Mans 24 Hours.
- 1958-05-03Daily Express Trophy MeetingDriver: Freddy RoussellePosition unknown; contributed to team award
Debut outing for the car under ENB colours; Lister claimed the Team Award from this event.
- 1998Goodwood Revival1998 Goodwood RevivalDriver: Tiff Needell
First appearance at the revived Goodwood circuit; the car became a crowd favourite in Needell's hands.
- —Goodwood RevivalGoodwood Revival (multiple editions)
Car participated in nearly every Goodwood Revival meeting following its 1998 debut.
- —Le Mans ClassicLe Mans Classic (multiple editions)
Car entered on several occasions at the biennial historic Le Mans event.
Maintenance & restoration
- 1958Engine rebuildJaguar Browns Lane
Following the Le Mans retirement, the car was dispatched to Jaguar's Browns Lane works for a replacement engine to be fitted.
During this period, engineers Norman Dewis and Malcolm Sayer covertly took the car to the MIRA facility for aerodynamic and development testing, which may have contributed to the subsequent engine failure at Goodwood.
- 1959Repair
Rear-end damage sustained during the Finnish race was repaired by Ray Fielding, who deliberately preserved the original damaged tail rather than sourcing a replacement.
Retention of the original tail panel is considered a significant factor in the car's high originality rating.
- 1997RestorationCKL Developments
A comprehensive restoration was carried out confirming the car retains its original chassis and bodywork, including uncommon features such as a full-length scuttleless bonnet with early-pattern front wings.
Work was overseen by Chris Keith-Lucas, formerly of Lynx and subsequently operating as CKL Developments; restoration was completed in time for the 1998 Goodwood Revival.
Are you the owner of this car?
This car's public record is built from its auction and competition history. Register your ownership and privately add your own records to make it a verified Legacy Metrics passport — provenance that backs your car's value at sale and gives your insurer evidence to price against. Roy reviews and verifies every registration personally.