Before the Cobra

Jim Hall raced his Lister Chevrolet at the Los Angeles Examiner Grand Prix at Pomona on March 8, 1959. Hall, who qualified mid-field and five seconds slower than top qualifier Dan Gurney, was never a factor in the race, which was won by Ken Miles in a Porsche RS Spyder after considerable attrition. To be fair, these were early days for Hall, who had graduated from Cal Tech only two years previously and was but 24 years old. Photo: Bob Tronolone

As everyone knows, after the 1960 racing season, Carroll Shelby retired as a driver and became even better known for creating Cobras and Shelby Mustangs. But perhaps fewer know that he ventured into car creation somewhat before.

During the fifties, Shelby, Jim Hall, and Jim’s brother, Richard, had a dealership in Dallas—Carroll Shelby Sports Cars, Inc.—and were the Southwest Maserati distributors. In 1957, Brian Lister designed a chassis and body that incorporated a Jaguar engine and transmission. His cars enjoyed considerable success in the UK and on the continent at the hands of Archie Scott-Brown, Masten Gregory, and Stirling Moss among others.

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