The classic British sports car brand Lister are taking it old school. After announcing their latest run of ten ‘Knobbly’ continuation models, the road-legal racing car manufacturer disappointed buyers when they revealed the cars won’t be available to take for a spin until June 2018.
Whilst the essence of the iconic 1950s car will retain most of the original DNA, the option of a 4.2-litre or dry sump 3.8-litre straight-six Jaguar engine delivers 0-60mph in 4.7 secs, with a top speed rated at 160mph – a smart choice to roll this classic into the 21st century and propose it as a viable alternative to modern sports cars.
Each of the ten vehicles being released will be dedicated to the road-going version of the original racing car, which made its on-track debut over 60 years ago. And, just like the original, the tubular chassis is made using original jigs and has aluminium body panels that Lister take over 500 hours to beat into shape.
According to Lister CEO Lawrence Whittaker, the new ‘Knobbly’ “paves the way for more future road going Lister models.” Also, the model coincides nicely with Jaguar’s recent retrospective and its well-received ‘Reborn’ models.
Reborn E-Types and ‘new original’ XKSS D-Types have hit the road over the last couple of years as flagship projects for Jaguar Classic, and sister brand Land Rover have also muscled in on the action with reborn versions of the Series 1 Land Rover and the first generation Range Rover.
So what do you think, gents? Are cars of old unbeatable, and are these brands being savvy in their resurrection of models old – or do you prefer the new, and think older vehicles should stay where they belong, in the past?
The 3.8-litre new Knobbly will set customers back £295,000, while a cheaper version using a 4.2-litre Jaguar engine will be priced from £225,000.
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