Lister is one of the most important names in British sports car racing history. The Lister-Jaguar, designed by Brian Lister, swept almost all before it during its first full racing season in 1957. In recent years, cars bearing the Lister name have been a major force in GT racing worldwide. From the early 1980s, the name has also graced some of the world's fastest road cars. Following an agreement first with BLE Automotive and then with WP Automotive, we saw highly modified XJ-S models marketed as Lister-Jaguars. The famous Lister-Jaguar connection made its commercial reappearance in 1986 when approximately 90 tuned Jaguar XJSs were produced for the road, with the emphasis very much on supercar performance. For those who felt the standard V12 Jaguar engine a little insipid, Lister added a comprehensive tuning package. The fuel injection was modified with 4 additional injectors and throttle bodies and the engine management system was re-mapped to accommodate. The heads were gas flowed with larger valves, the crankshaft was nitrided and Cosworth conrods carrying special forged pistons were fitted. New bearings and a modified oil system were also deemed necessary in order to reliably deliver the 604bhp that it could now produce. The Le Mans Coupé was capable of over 200 mph with the correct gearing and was the first production car to do so. Clearly the suspension and braking were going to need some attention, and this they duly got. The car was made to look the part too with a dramatic body kit and superb Lister Recaro leather interior.
According to the Lister factory chassis records, this XJS is one of only 25 Le Mans 7.0 litre Coupés produced. Lister number #081LJ started life in the UK as a 1990 XJS and was converted by the factory to 6.0 litre Mk III specification. In March 1992, the car was further upgraded to Full 7.0 Litre Le Mans specification. Invoices in the large history file show bills for engine work, a Getrag 6-Speed gearbox, twin superchargers (£8,600) and work to complete the conversion that totalled £77,000 alone. Further bills, receipts and MoT documents substantiate the history and total mileage of 46,139 miles from new. In 2012, a number of recommissioning jobs were completed by David Marks a respected engineer within Jaguar Owner's Club circles. GII CAT was road tested by Ross Alkureishi of Classic Cars Magazine in January 2015. He stated: "Say hello to the biggest, baddest Jaguar on the planet - not even the XJ220 comes close in terms of sheer brute force... At 3,000rpm the twin superchargers kick in fully, the rear squats down, the nose rises and you're hurtled forward as the instant torque arrives with a visceral ferocity." In late 2015, a program of basic maintenance was completed to keep the car 'on the button' and ensure that 600bhp was still available when required.
1980's and 1990's exotica, such as Lister's XJS, have shown bullish rises in value recently as their depreciation curves level off and good examples become harder to source. Finished in stunning XJS Metallic Blue with Parchment blue piped interior and Deep Blue carpets, this car is immaculate and has a massive physical presence just sitting there. This is a seriously quick, powerful, no holds barred sort of a motor car. A bit of a bruiser in a gentleman's overcoat.]]>