By Dean Larson

Photos: Seller, Craigslist

Lister might not have stuck out too much when he got his start in 1954 building his own sports racing cars with MG engines. But by the next year, and the Lister-Bristol BHL9 model, Lister’s cars started to develop a trademark look with bulging fenders, hood and wide-mouth radiator opening. Devoting extensive research to chassis design and aerodynamics, Lister’s cars were constantly evolving, as was his choice in engines. Bristol, Coventry-Climax, Maserati and most notably Jaguar mechanicals were used in Lister’s cars, highlighted by the Jag-powered Lister Knobbly. But Lister also experimented with Chevrolet V8s in 1958, and these cars were the ones to beat in ’58 and ’59. With only 16 Lister Chevrolets built, and values north of $400,000, it was only a matter of time before someone built an affordable Lister Chevrolet, and the man to do it was Chuck Beck.

Known for crafting quality Porsche replicas at an affordable price, Beck’s Lister re-creation sounds like a natural next step given the availability of Chevrolet small-block engines and Corvette mechanicals. Beck designed a tubular chassis for the project with a lengthened wheelbase and bodies were crafted in fiberglass. For the money, a Beck-Lister Chevrolet can be one of the most enjoyable cars around, and a serious Cobra competitor for a bowtie fan. This 400 hp Beck on Craigslist looks to be a quality example, and it has interesting history as well, having been built by the Avanti Motors Corporation.

Mechanicals look to be fairly standard, with a nicely built 400 ci small-block Chevrolet, manual transmission and kidney bean style wheels. The owner cites that the car weighs approximately 1,800 pounds and will go 0 to 60 mph in under 4 seconds. From the photos alone, this is clearly a quality Beck-Lister in exceptional condition, but what of this Avanti business?

Well the Avanti company built cars off and on from 1965 until 2006 through five different ownership arrangements. The last of the Avantis were based of Ford chassis with bodywork inspired by classic Avantis of the ’60s, but that wasn’t the only project the company was working on. There was also a large SUV being developed, and Avanti allegedly built a run of 50 Beck-Lister Chevrolets as well.

This car is number 32, reflected by the chassis number AMCBL 00032, and as stated, it’s in excellent condition. Mileage is listed at 9,505, meaning that the car is probably nicely broken in at this point. It’s priced at $50,000, which is on the upper end of the market for a Beck-Lister, but definitely in the ballpark.

See the Beck-Lister Chevrolet here on Philadelphia Craigslist.