Globetrotting vintage car up for auction

The 1939 Bentley still has its Peking to Paris car race plates on the front

An 85-year-old vintage car that took part in a globe-spanning rally is set to go under the hammer.

The 1939 Derby Bentley is being auctioned in Scunthorpe after lying unused in storage for almost two decades.

The car was already 68 years old when it finished the 2007 Peking to Paris Centenary Rally - a five week, 8,000 mile (12,900 km) re-enactment of the world’s first transcontinental rally in 1907.

Paul Cooper, of Eddisons auctioneers, said the car had an estimate of £10,000-£15,000, but could be worth far more if restored to pristine condition.

Mr Cooper said: "The plan was to have the car restored after the rally but there was a false start, the car went into storage and the work never got done."

The auctioneer said some rally modifications remain, with the rear seat removed to create space for the supplies they needed on the epic journey.

He added: "There could even be a bit of Gobi desert sand in there!”

According to the auctioneers, the Bentley was driven by owner Digby Leighton-Squires and his friend Neville Burrell during the rally.

The Bentley was one of 106 veteran, vintage and classic cars that completed the challenge, achieving a respectable 65th place.

Adam Martin, of Eddisons, takes in the vintage car's interiors ahead of the online auction

A viewing session will be held at the Auction Centre on Dunlop Way, Scunthorpe, on Monday, with the online auction set to end on Tuesday afternoon.

Bentley Derbys were made by Rolls-Royce after the luxury car manufacturer snapped up its rival in 1931.

The first Derby rolled off the production line in Derby in 1933, with the model made until 1939.

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