Description
Lister Costin Continuation 1 of 1
Road registered as 173 NNO
IVA compliant & current FIA HTP papers
173 NNO was the first and only Lister Costin continuation car built in Cambridge by George Lister Engineering using original Lister jigs, bucks and period techniques. Original mechanics from the 1950s were employed as consultants to make sure that everything was period correct.
In 1959, the Lister Costin used Jaguar’s famous straight-six engine and this car uses a period correct wide-angle straight-six producing 337bhp at 6, 750rpm and 295 lbs ft of torque at 4, 250rpm, built by Crosthwaite and Gardiner. This is the same engine used in the Lister Knobbly continuation and Stirling Moss edition. Drive goes to the rear wheels via an original specification gearbox, again produced by Crosthwaite and Gardener.
The last Lister racing car of the 1950s, the Costin holds a very special place in the history of the Cambridge company following on from the famous Knobbly. The latter was a hugely successful racer but Brian Lister realised that in order to increase performance he had to find a way to greatly improve the Knobbly’s aerodynamics. So, for the 1959 racing season, he called on the skills of Frank Costin, brother of Mike Costin of Cosworth fame, an expert aerodynamicist who had designed bodies for Lotus and Vanwall. Costin created an all-new sleek, low-drag aluminum body – and the Lister Costin was born.
For the 1959 season, George Lister Engineering in Cambridge built two works cars, to be driven by Ivor Bueb and Peter Blond. Both cars came with new additional safety features including Fire Proof Fuel Tank. Testing took place at Goodwood by Frank Costin with Ivor Bueb at the wheel. Bueb won the Sussex Trophy that very year in a Lister Costin, while both Bueb and Stirling Moss drove the Costin-bodied cars at Sebring. A Costin was also entered at the Le Mans 24 hour race in 1959 with Bruce Halford and Ivor Bueb driving.
The Costin won many fans including two-time F1 World Champion, Jim Clark was famously quoted as saying:
“The handling of the car was fabulous. At Gerard’s Bend at Mallory you could set the car up going into the bend hard, and get round the corner without touching the steering again. If you wanted to come out tight you just put your boot in it, the tail came round and it was a matter of driving it round on the throttle the whole way. That really taught me quite a bit about racing, particularly about controlling the car by the throttle.”
Today, Lister Costins have become extremely successful on the historic racing scene. As a road registered car it is also very eligible for exciting road events such as the Tour Auto. Overall, the car represents a superb opportunity to race at prestige historic events in a beautifully presented and potentially front-running car.
