Just a few months after announcing a limited run of the Knobbly, Lister has launched its latest continuation car: the Costin.
The Costin was the last Lister race car of the 1950s, following on from the famous 'Knobbly'. The latter was a very successful racer but Brian Lister realised that in order to increase performance he had to find a way to improve its 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 the result.
For the 1959 season two works cars were built to be driven by Ivor Bueb and Peter Blond. Both cars came with new additional safety features including Fire Proof Fuel Tank. Bueb won the Sussex Trophy that year in the new Costin, while both Bueb and Stirling Moss drove the Costin-bodied cars at Sebring.
The new run of continuation Costins will be built in Cambridge by George Lister Engineering, using original Lister chassis jigs and period techniques. Original mechanics from the 1950s are employed as consultants to make sure that everything is period correct. The 1959 Costin used Jaguar’s famous straight-six engine - the new continuations will use a period correct wide-angle straight-six producing 337bhp built by Crosthwaite and Gardiner, with a 0 to 60mph time of four seconds, and a top speed of 170mph.
This is the same engine used in the Lister Knobbly continuation and Stirling Moss edition. Drive goes to the rear wheels via an original spec gearbox, also produced by Crosthwaite and Gardiner.
Lawrence Whittaker, CEO Lister Motor Company, said: “I’m absolutely delighted to reveal that we will be producing a run of continuation Costins. Brian Lister was ahead of his time by realising just how important aerodynamics were to performance – and who better to employ to design that super sleek body that Frank Costin. As the last racing car to come from the factory in the Fifties it’s a hugely important car to Lister and the fact that it has become so successful in historic racing today shows just how they got things right back in period.
“Buyers of the continuation Costins will be getting perfect period cars, which will no doubt become highly collectable and successful historic racers. Following on from the Knobbly continuation and Stirling Moss edition, I’m also very proud that we are continuing the tradition of hand-building cars at George Lister Engineering in Cambridge, using many of the traditional methods that were used in 1954, as well as some of the original engineers. We are keeping Brian Lister’s legacy alive – and that is so important to us all.”
The continuation Costin will come in racing spec for £295,000 + VAT or as a fully type-approved road car for an extra £12,500.
Historic racing versions will come with a full FIA HTP passport, allowing entry into the Stirling Moss Trophy - with rounds at Brands Hatch, Silverstone Classic, Donington Historic, Spa and Portimao among others on the calendar.