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A unique perspective on the North American Lister XJ-Ss from the 1980s, covering the business and technical modifications that led to some of the rarest Jaguar-based performance cars.
In the early 1980s, I began modifying new Jaguar XJ-Ss to Lister specifications in the USA. I sourced 'Lister' components from BLE Ltd in Birmingham, working with Ron Beatty, John Lewis, and Ian Exeter. When Exeter and Lewis decided to step away from their Lister project, I purchased the company with Brian Lister's approval. The accompanying photo shows Brian Lister sealing the deal with me outside the RAC in London.
I changed BLE’s approach, hoping to turn a profit, and formed Lister of North America Inc around 1983. We sold body kits to Jaguar dealers throughout the USA, Japan, and Europe, amounting to hundreds of kits. Our performance versions featured upgrades such as modified suspension in collaboration with Bryan Wingfield, Hayward and Scott exhausts, five-speed manual gearbox conversion parts from Jaguar Cars, and a switch to a 3.54:1 differential instead of the standard 2.88:1, resulting in a 3.11:1 final drive ratio in fifth gear. We sourced body parts from Robin Statham in Princes Risborough.
In my shop, we built about 20 of these Lister cars in full performance spec, which were sold mainly through Jaguar dealers at around $87,000 each. The 1987 Lister NAS 5 (North American Specification, five-speed manual) is an example of our work. These cars were a tremendous undertaking, requiring significant effort and financial commitment. Despite making significant sales, the company ultimately never became profitable as high marketing costs continually offset our gains.
I believe the subsequent UK Lister XJ-S was quite similar to our version, except for featuring a modified V12 engine. The import and modification of these cars has resulted in an exceptionally rare breed of XJ-S, which is becoming more appreciated as a collector's item—some being exported to France, Japan, and Hong Kong. With possibly only about 410 left, the Lister XJ-S offers rarity at a cost much lower than comparable Williams cars. For those interested, these cars represent excellent value and increasing collectability.
