A 1939 Daimler DS18 Winston Churchill used in political campaigns during the 1940s is to auction.
It will star in a Coys sale at Blenheim Palace on July 2 - Churchill's ancestral home.
Daimler intended to build 23 DS18 drophead coupes, but the outbreak of war put paid to that.
 The car is the last surviving original 1939 Daimler DS18 drophead coupe |
Eight were produced before the factory was destroyed in the Blitz, resulting in the loss of five chassis.
This left three originals, of which this is the sole survivor.
It features spectacular coachwork by west London-based firm Carlton.
It's worth noting that Churchill never owned this car. Daimler used it for promotional purposes and loaned it to him for use in his campaigns.
Churchill was chauffeured around, addressing crowds through a PA system mounted on the front.
The car has a double importance, as the only original DS18 drophead coupe and as an important part of the Winston Churchill story. This is a combination that will likely appeal to collectors.
The lot is valued at £230,000-260,000 ($308,106-348,294), a figure it could exceed dramatically.
The auction house comments: "Coys' auction at Blenheim Palace is one of the most well established classic car sales in the British auction calendar.
"This year we return to the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill with a combination of more than 140 classic and sports cars, including a car used by none other than Churchill himself, two Minis with unparalleled history and much more."
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