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Beck-Built Lister-Chevrolet Knobbly Re-Creation Heads to Market
A 2003 Beck Development rolling chassis turned into a faithful Lister-Chevrolet Knobbly re-creation, powered by a 350ci ZZ4 V8 and finished in green with a yellow stripe, is offered with invoices and a clean Arizona title.
By Charlotte Redford · 4 min read
A Beck Development re-creation of the Lister-Chevrolet Knobbly, the curvaceous 1950s sports racer built in Cambridge, has been listed for sale with invoices and a clean Arizona title that records it as a 1958 Lister. The car was ordered from Beck as a rolling chassis in 2003 and assembled by its seller into a road-legal tribute to one of the most distinctive competition cars of the era.
The original Knobbly earned its nickname from the swollen, undulating bodywork that clothed Lister's spaceframe chassis between 1957 and 1959. Customers could specify Jaguar inline-six or Chevrolet V8 power, and the model became a fixture of club racing and international sports-car events on both sides of the Atlantic. This re-creation follows that formula, pairing a fibreglass body and steel tube frame sourced from Beck Development with American V8 muscle.
Under the bonnet sits a 350ci GM ZZ4 V8 fitted with Chevrolet Performance «Fast Burn» cylinder heads, a «Hot Cam» hydraulic roller camshaft, pushrods and hydraulic roller lifters. A Mighty Demon carburettor feeds the engine, ZZ430-branded valve covers sit on top, and an MSD Digital 6 Plus system handles ignition. Cooling comes from an aluminium radiator linked to a Moroso expansion tank, while a ceramic-coated exhaust system runs long-tube headers into side pipes. An oil change was carried out in preparation for the sale.
Drive reaches the rear wheels through a Richmond Gear Super-T10 four-speed manual transmission and a Dana 44 differential that the seller reports has been fitted with revised internals. The chassis rides on C4 Corvette-specification suspension components, including front A-arms, with rear Koni double-adjustable dampers, Hyperco springs, adjustable camber rods, trailing arms and Energy Suspension polyurethane bushings. Braking is by four-wheel vented discs with Wilwood front calipers, cross-drilled rear rotors, Tilton master cylinders and stainless-steel hoses.
The exterior is finished in green with a yellow stripe and features headlight covers, a driver's headrest fairing, dual side mirrors and a competition-style fuel filler cap. Paint chips and scuffs are noted along the body. Aluminium 16-inch Halibrand-style wheels are mounted with older Dunlop tyres measuring 225/50 at the front and 255/50 at the rear.
Inside, a black-finished roll bar has been added to the cockpit, which contains bucket seats trimmed in black upholstery and Simpson harnesses. Black carpeting lines the interior, a Hurst Indy shifter is fitted on the centre tunnel, and a wood-rimmed Nardi steering wheel with three split spokes sits ahead of a Tilton Engineering pedal box. An engine-turned dashboard panel houses Classic Instruments readouts: a 200-mph speedometer, an 8,000-rpm tachometer and gauges for voltage, water temperature, fuel level and oil pressure. The six-digit odometer shows 4,600 miles. An ATL fuel cell and a battery box are stationed in the boot.
The car is offered with a Beck Development order form, a Manufacturer's Statement of Origin, manufacturer's literature and parts invoices. Its Arizona-assigned tag carries the sequence «AZ264041», and the title notes the vehicle as a 1958 Lister. For buyers drawn to the Knobbly's unmistakable silhouette but wary of original-car prices, the Beck re-creation offers period-correct proportions with modern componentry and a documented build history.
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