The coolest way to spend half a million for fans of British GT racers this year? That has to be this Lister Storm. It’s the V12 front-engined GT poster car from the early years of the 21st Century, and as the pictures show it still absolutely looks the GT racing business. It’s up for grabs in an auction on 19th November.
Iconic Lister Storm GT could be ultimate track toy for £500k
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Rare, fast and more successful than you might imagine, the Storm GT flew the front-engined flag in GT racing and was the most long-lived of the GT racers born out of the Storm road car project of the mid 1990s.
The Storm road car famously used a 7.0-litre V12 based on the unit in the Jaguar XJR-9 Group C racer, and of course it was this that powered the racecar. A mega powerplant in other words. Power was 553PS (407kW) and top speed more than 200mph.
The Storm GT’s performance was enough to see an iconic name in British motorsport roar back into competition in some style. With drivers such as Julian Bailey, Mike Jordan, Bobby Verdon-Roe and Tiff Needell, the Storm GT claimed seven podium finishes in FIA GT racing between 2001 and 2005.
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Racing in the GT2 class, notable successes included second in the 2002 Spa 24 Hours, a first at Anderstorp, first at Pau and seconds at Monza and Dijon. The car was run first by the factory and then later by the factory-backed French team, Red Racing.
After a crash the car was rebuilt using an original Storm chassis and put back to exactly how it had looked for the 2003 season – something visitors to the 2008 Goodwood Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard were able to see for themselves when the Storm GT stormed the Hill, making what was one of its last public appearances.
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Since then it’s been part of the jaw-dropping collection put together by former historic racer turned ultimate car dealer, Jean Guikas in France. Seventy five cars from the collection, including the Lister Storm GT, are now being sold by RM Sotheby’s at its next auction at the Paul Ricard Circuit, Le Castellet, France, on 19th November.
When we previewed the sale in July we said it was going to be one of the most awesome auctions of the year, comprising everything from blue-chip road cars to WEC racers and F1 cars.
The Lister comes with a price guide of £470-600,000 – the good news is there is no reserve price, the less good news is that UK buyers will have to pay VAT. Even so, it will be far from the most expensive car in the sale. Given its rarity, sheer V12 awesomeness and role in returning the iconic Lister name to the track, for plenty of people it will surely be money well spent – as long as whoever buys it brings it back to Goodwood asap!
Images courtesy of RM Sotheby’s.
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