Registration No: OTE 565M
Chassis No: 1L34456BW
MOT: T.B.A

• Very well presented Lister Jaguar 'Knobbly' Evocation
• Purchased as a shell by the current keeper from the well-known Lister Jaguar exponent Eike Wellhausen
• Mr Wellhausen owns a genuine car and has built (and raced) several Evocations over time
• Bodywork produced by Eike Wellhausen and finished in metallic Ice Blue
• 4.2 litre straight-six engine fed by triple 2″ SU carburettors and reconditioned Jaguar XJ6 overdrive gearbox
• Only 190 miles since its completion

Charged with promoting the Shell BP Mex brands via motorsport, Bryan Turle was somewhat thrown by Jaguar's decision not to field a Works team for the 1957 season. Conscious that rival Esso had Aston Martin and Ecurie Ecosse under contract, he sought to convince Lister its next move should be to challenge for outright victories (as opposed to class wins) in the World Sports Car Championship as well as at various unlimited capacity international events. Attracted by the prospect of major sponsorship, Brian Lister lost little time in concluding an engine supply deal with Jaguar. Debuting at Snetterton on 31st March 1957, the first `official' Lister-Jaguar took pole position and set the fastest lap (though clutch failure denied it victory). The following month, the new car proved itself the class of the field with dominant overall victories at both the British Empire Trophy race (Oulton Park) and the Easter Monday Sussex Trophy race (Goodwood). Capable of showing a clean pair of exhaust pipes to both the ageing Jaguar D-Type and the new Aston Martin DBR1, the Lister-Jaguar was quite simply a revelation.

Boasting a ten per cent reduction in frontal area, despite full compliance with Appendix C regulations, its 1958 successor was styled (at least in part) by the artist Cavendish Morton. A riot of swooping wheel arches and air scoops punctuated by a pronounced bonnet bulge and low-set windscreen, it was affectionately christened the `Knobbly'. Upgraded with a 3.8 litre version of Jaguar's legendary XK DOHC unit (though it could be had with a WSCC-compliant 3.0 litre), the newcomer maintained Lister's performance advantage. Thus, when after four successive wins Scott-Brown was beaten into second place at the May Silverstone meeting, it was by another `Knobbly' mounted driver, namely Ecurie Ecosse's Masten Gregory (the rivalry between these two tragically cost Scott-Brown his life a fortnight later at the Belgian Sports Car Grand Prix). The Scottish team was not alone in its appreciation of the new car, with Briggs Cunningham using his pair to devastating effect in both the 1958 and 1959 SCCA Championships, while Stirling Moss piloted another of the seventeen production examples reputedly made to win the sports car race at the 1958 British GP.

The proprietor of a successful car spares and tuning business in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, Eike Wellhausen has been racing for half a century or more. Initially competing aboard various single-seaters and a ModSports Jaguar E-Type, he is best known as a Lister Jaguar Knobbly exponent. In addition to owning a genuine example, he has constructed (and raced) several Evocations over the years. One such machine, this Lister Evocation, was built by Mr Wellhausen and competed in several events before the bodywork was sold to the vendor in 2015. Utilising a lightweight Revival Motorsport D-Type chassis, designed by Adrian Reynard for a D-Type replica racing series, the Lister was built and prepared using a Jaguar XJ6 donor car by renowned restorers Merlin Classic Cars in conjunction with Mr Wellhausen, with the Evocation still recorded with the DVLA under its donor identity.

Powered by a 4.2 litre XK DOHC straight-six engine fed by triple 2-inch SU E-Type carburettors, with a custom stainless-steel, tubular exhaust manifold and side-exit silencer. The engine is cooled by way of a new radiator and pipes with a high-mounted aluminium swirl pot. Allied to a reconditioned Jaguar XJ6 overdrive gearbox with a custom-made, lightened and balanced prop shaft and a new road clutch, all driving the E-Type limited-slip differential at the rear. Stopping power is supplied by a set of new XJ6 disc brakes all round including new callipers, discs and pads. The rear of the car encloses the new aluminium fuel tank along with the SU fuel pump and inline fuel filter, with the ‘Knobbly’ provided by Jaguar XJ6 suspension with poly bushes and new adjustable Avo coil-over struts.

Finished in ‘Ice Metallic Blue’ paintwork, inside the Lister Evocation features Grey vinyl seats, aluminium floors and panelling, a quick-release Momo steering wheel and a Realm Engineering split front and rear pedal box with adjustable pedals to suit any height of driver. New E-Type gauges and a high-mounted rear-view mirror. Still recorded with the DVLA under its donor identity, the Evocation is complemented by Mini-lite wheels with Kumho tyres and a fitted tonneau cover.

Having covered less than 200 miles (at the time of consignment) since the completion in 2021, ‘OTE 565M’ is accompanied by a large history file that includes bills for approximately £29,300 of expenditure related to the build and a V5C document. Starting readily upon inspection, this is a stunning evocation of a truly iconic car in British motor racing history and is perfect as either an invigorating fast road car or is potentially suitable for ‘open class’ competition events, this decidedly handsome Evocation is worthy of close inspection.

For more information, please contact:
Paul Cheetham
paul.cheetham@handh.co.uk
07538 667452