1951 Lister JAP

POA from Lister Classics, Blackburn, UK

ORIGIN STORIES can often be some of the most interesting, and the creation of the first Lister racing car is no exception. That all of the great motor racing moments from Lister’s past owe something to this relatively unknown two-seater Lister JAP makes this a very special part of the story.

In many people’s eyes, the Lister story began in 1954 with the formation of Lister Cars and the production of the Lister MG, featuring the very first chassis built by the company. But the first car to wear a Lister chassis number actually dates back to 1951.

Brian Lister spotted a lightweight two-seater that had been built by local customer John Tojeiro. This was only Tojeiro’s second completed car, but Lister saw its potential for hillclimbs and sprints and set about installing an 1100cc JAP V-twin motorcycle engine mated to a Jowett Jupiter four-speed manual transmission. This car, clothed with minimal aluminium bodywork, was stamped with its BHL 1 – for Brian Horace Lister – chassis number in 1951, signifying this as the first car to carry the Lister name.

Powerful and light enough to shine in the popular 750-1100cc class, it proved slightly unreliable at first. Lister persevered, and continued to race throughout the early 1950s after receiving some engine enhancement from racer and engine tuner Don Moore. Lister eventually handed driving duties to his favourite racer, Archie Scott Brown, who went on to have several successful outings in it.

With Lister’s sights set on bigger and better things, the JAP was sold on. Its history after this point is not entirely clear, but it did continue to race for some time in the 1950s. After disappearing for many decades, the JAP was discovered in a barn in 2009, missing most of its original bodywork. It was still wearing its BHL 1 chassis number, and after much research the owner commissioned a comprehensive rebuild. Octane sampled the very enjoyable result for a story in 2015.

Offered by Lister Classics, the recently opened used car sales arm of the Lister Motor Company, the one-of-a-kind JAP is on display in the new Blackburn showroom. It’s offered with a full set of FIA papers and a history file, and is currently eligible to compete in many top international events including the Goodwood Revival. It’s even road legal.