For Sale: Ex-Works Lister Storm GT

Images and information thanks to Sam Hancock

The Lister Storm GT was a monster of a GT car that left an indelible impression following its appearance in the FIA GT Championship in 2000. Chassis number GTM002 is now offered for sale by Sam Hancock, professional racing driver & coach and specialist in the sale of exceptional, historic competition cars.

In 1954, Brian Lister founded the Lister Motor Company. The British manufacturer produced MG, Bristol, Maserati, and Chevrolet sports cars, in addition to its own Jaguar-powered cars until the early 1960s.

Following the 1963 24 Hours of Le Mans, Lister ceased all operations. This lasted more than 20 years until Laurence Pearce, with permission from Brian Lister himself, restarted activities in 1986. Pearce started by supplying tuning kits for the Jaguar XJ-S V12, of which nearly 100 were delivered. Pearce then embarked on a particularly ambitious project – the Lister Storm.

The Storm was introduced in 1993 as a luxurious four-seater, powered by the impressive seven-litre version of the Jaguar V12 that had been used in the XJ-S. Most interestingly for us, however, this engine had been responsible for Jaguar’s two victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1988 and 1990. For road use, this engine delivered an impressive 546 bhp.

As far as is known, only four road-legal cars were built by Lister from the Storm, partly due to the poor market for expensive cars. However, Pearce managed to salvage part of the project and bring the Lister name back to the racing circuit.

The final Lister Storm GT debuted in GT1 specification at the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans. Several further developments followed in the following years, although the small Lister had to compete against brands like McLaren, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Toyota.

When a refined version was introduced for the British GT Championship in 1999, the tide turned. This version was built according to GT2 regulations and was closer to the production version. Although the Jaguar V12 was fitted with mandatory restrictors, the 12-cylinder was still good for around 600 hp.

The Lister Storm that is for sale at Sam Hancock is GTM002, driven by Julian Bailey and Jamie Campbell-Walter in period. It’s the second of six chassis built by Lister. At the season opener in Valencia, Spain, they convincingly drove the number 14 car to pole position. Later that day, they secured pole position with a resounding victory in a three-hour race.

More information about this special GT and its dominant performance in the 1999 FIA GT Championship can be found here.