1990 Lister Jaguar XJ-S 7.0-Litre Le Mans Cabriolet

Lister is one of the most renowned names in sports car racing history with the Lister-Jaguar, designed by Brian Lister, having swept all before it during its first full racing season in 1957 and, in more 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, after an agreement first with BLE Automotive and then WP Automotive saw highly modified XJ-S models marketed as Lister-Jaguars.

The famous Lister Jaguar connection made its commercial reappearance in 1986 when approximately 90 uprated Jaguar XJSs were produced, the emphasis being very much on 'supercar' performance. For those who felt the standard V12 Jaguar engine a bit insipid, Lister added a comprehensive tuning package with updates including four additional injectors and advanced throttle bodies. The engine management system was tweaked, the heads gas-flowed with larger valves fitted and, to handle the extra power, the crankshaft was nitrided, with performance Cosworth con-rods coupled to specially forged pistons. New bearings and a modified oil system were also deemed necessary in order to reliably deliver the 604bhp that it could now produce. 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 full body kit and a superb Lister Recaro leather interior.

This Lister Jaguar is the first of only five manufactured in 1990 using a brand new XJ-S Convertible as the basis. The car is powered by a Lister-converted 7-litre V12 engine, equipped with twin superchargers. Its 604bhp is transmitted through an uprated clutch and a 5-speed manual gearbox to the huge alloys, all kept in balance by uprated sports suspension with enlarged brakes in charge of retardation. The stunning 'Le Mans' bodywork made no attempt at subtlety, absolutely 'Wolf in Wolf's Clothing' but then, this was 1990. Almost certainly the most powerful British passenger car at the time of its construction, the Lister cost a staggering £167,000 when new, getting on for five-times the price of the donor XJ-S!

This ultra-rare piece of automotive extravagance presents beautifully in a glorious shade of metallic Midnight Blue, with a superb cream connolly-hide interior, piped in blue with Lister Recaro sports seats and a '200mph' speedometer that currently indicates just under 26,000 miles. The car is accompanied by a large history file, including invoices for maintenance with recent specialist attention, to keep the Lister performing at its best. Also within the file is the old-style logbook, service booklet, DVLA owners list, sundry invoices, old MOT Certificates, its V5C and a current MOT valid until May 2024.

This splendid motor car is evocative of a point in time when excitement and excess blended to create some quite outrageous machinery. An era when fun featured at the forefront of the design brief, unlikely ever to be repeated in this modern world of economy and carbon footprints. This Lister XJ-S has featured in many automotive publications and is bound to spark interest at any event it attends, a superb piece of social history to thoroughly enjoy, time for fun.