Lister Bristol

This car competed in the AMOC 50s Sports Cars race at the Aston Martin Owners Club's meeting at Oulton Park in May 2017.

It's Stephen Bond's 1955 1,991cc Lister Bristol 'Flat Iron', chassis BHL9, formerly John Horridge's Ecurie Bullfrog car, and is pictured during the race at Druids Corner. The car began life with a Riley engine and was driven by John Horridge and Geoffrey Beeson in the 1955 Bol D'Or 24-hours Grand Prix de Paris but failed to finish. It was given a 1,991cc Bristol engine the following year and raced at national and international level before crashing heavily at Snetterton in July 1957. Subsequently the car was rebuilt by the Works with new 'flatiron' bodywork.

Lister Bristol

I photographed this car at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1998 where it was one of the display cars and didn't take any part in the racing.

It's one of Brian Lister's early cars, built in 1954, and was powered by the 1,971cc Bristol 6-cylinder inline engine derived from the pre-war BMW 328 unit. This particular car was chiefly driven by Jack Sears, but the Lister Bristol achieved much success in the hands of Archie Scott-Brown in the mid-1950s. Lister went on to develop the more well-known Lister Jaguar in 1957, utilising the 3,442cc Jaguar D-Type engine.

On 17 July 2013 I showed photographs of this car at the Coys meeting at Silverstone in 1999 when it was driven by Barry Wood.

Maserati 300 S

I took these photographs at the Historic Grand Prix Cars Association's International Historic Grand Prix meeting at Donington Park in May 2004.

This is the 1955 Maserati 300 S of José Albuquerque, chassis #3054. The Maserati 300 S has a 3 litre straight-6 engine based on the 2½ litre unit of the 250F Grand Prix car with a lengthened stroke, and competed in the World Sportscar Championship races from 1955 to 1957. This particular car was very successful, being victorious in the hands of Jean Behra, Luigi Musso, Juan Fangio and Stirling Moss amongst others. It subsequently passed through various hands, including Lord Charles Brocket (who thankfully didn't do any lasting damage to the car) before being acquired by José Albuquerque, and is currently owned by Stephan Rettenmaier.

Here's José Albuquerque at the Old Hairpin during the HGPCA Race for Pre-1959 Drum-Braked Sports Cars behind the 1957 Ferrari 500 TRC of David Cottingham and leading the 1955 Lister Bristol of Tony Wood.

Lister Bristol

I saw this car in the paddock at the SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in June 2008 in a display of vehicles by H&H Classic Car Auctions and recognised it as one I'd seen racing in the late 1950s.

The programme of the event included a notice of a forthcoming auction at Buxton which was to include this car and contained this brief description of its history:

'1955/1957 Lister Sports Racer

This Lister began life with a Riley engine and was entered for the 1955

Bol D'Or 24-hours Grand Prix  de  Paris.  It  was  converted  to  Bristol

power the following year and raced at national and international level

before crashing heavily at Snetterton in July 1957.  Thereafter, the  car

was rebuilt  by  the  Works  with  new  'flatiron'  bodywork.  The  Lister

has been in the current  ownership  since  August  1969  but  is  offered

for sale as a restoration project (Bristol engine and gearbox included).

Estimate: £50,000 - £70,000.'

This H&H catalogue description gives a more comprehensive history of the car.

Lister Bristol

Lister is a manufacturer better known for its Jaguar-engined cars, but early Listers were often fitted with Bristol engines. The first race meeting I ever attended, the 1955 British Empire Trophy race at Oulton Park, was won by a Lister Bristol driven by Archie Scott-Brown.

The car pictured below is a 1954 Lister Bristol which was entered and driven by Barry Wood in the 1950s Sports Car Race in the Coys International Historic Trophy meeting at Silverstone in July 1999.