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BHL17 is the number unmistakably stamped into the authentic Knobbly chassis of this genuine Lister BHL 117/ BHL 17, which was raced in the USA from 1959 onwards by Ed Cantrell, who purchased the car from the world famous Carrol Shelby of Dallas, Texas.
Cantrell occasionally raced with Pete Harrison of Atlanta, Georgia (who would later own and race his own "Costin" car). The car was then sold to stockbroker and amateur SCCA driver Art Huttinger of Windermere, Florida, who raced it extensively from November 1960 to February 1962, achieving considerable success, and in 2004 described it as "a great car… what a blast I had with it!"
Stockbroker Art Huttinger, who himself flew to the races in his own P51 Mustang "Warbird," subsequently sold this exotically painted blue and white Lister Chevrolet to Graham "Tombstone" Shaw, who raced it until 1962-1963. Shaw's nickname reflected his fearless driving style, and he crashed the car in Danville, Virginia, impaling it lengthwise on a fallen tree trunk, which punctured the radiator and air intake, though the damage was remarkably minor.
The car later passed to Ron Klein and then to Jeffrey Griffith – after which it was left in a state of restoration, still sporting the faded but striking Huttinger livery.
The Lister, originally equipped with a Chevrolet V-8 engine, was sold to England, where a 3. 8-liter Jaguar engine was installed. Incidentally, the Chevrolet engine remained with the car and will be transferred to the new owner. In any case, it remains highly exclusive, as, as far as we know, only 12 Listers were ever equipped with a Jaguar engine and 10 with a Chevrolet.
In 1979, the car, now in the UK, was sold in its original and complete condition to the current Dutch owner and Jaguar enthusiast, via dealer Chris Renwick from Reigate, Surrey, UK. He entrusted the chassis to specialists John and Gary Pearson for restoration work. Numerous photos of this restoration are available. We've honestly never offered a car with so much recorded history. While a racing car certainly lends itself to this, it's truly unique that virtually everything has been preserved. No fewer than six thick folders contain numerous letters from previous owners, photos, race reports and results, and everything else important to preserve to safeguard the complete history. The current owner even traveled to America years ago to speak with previous owners to ensure everything was in order.
After its restoration, the Lister was used extensively by its Dutch owner and his son in European Historic events from the 90s until 2007. The owner's stories about the car, relating to the various races he and his son participated in, are truly admirable, with top speeds of over 300 km/ h recorded. It takes courage, doesn't it?
So we're talking about a super original Lister Knobbly that has been in the possession of the current owner for 47 years and is equipped with a fast 3. 8 liter Jaguar engine.
This 1958 Lister Knobbly Jaguar is truly exceptional. A truly unique race car, with only 22 units ever built. The few that remain are welcome at the world's most prestigious racing events, and would certainly be a welcome addition to any historic race car collection.
** Owners history Lister BHL17**
– 1958 Hall / Shelby, (Carrol Shelby Sports cars Inc.) Dallas / Fort Worth USA
– 1958 – 1959 Joe Mabee (Midland, TX),
– 1959 Ed Cantrell, (US)
– 1959 – 1960 Art Huttinger, (Florida, USA)
– 1962 Graham Shaw “Tombstone Shaw” (USA)
– 1979 John Harper, UK
– 1979 Stephen Langton, UK
– 1979 – present, Dutch owner
