A CAMPAIGN car used by Sir Winston Churchill in the 1940s will be among more than 140 historic vehicles auctioned off at Blenheim Palace later this week.

The 1939 Daimler, loaned to the Prime Minister for political campaigns in 1944 and 1949, is up for grabs and expected to sell for in excess of £250,000.

The auction, at Churchill's birthplace, will include a number of famous motor cars such as a 1959 'John Bolster' Morris Mini Minor and a 1921 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost.

COYS, the company behind the auction, will also being holding a parade of rare and unusual motor cars on the day.

Chief executive Chris Routledge said: "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."

One of those historic Minis won the British Touring Car Championships in two consecutive years in the 1970s.

Racing driver Richard Longman, with financial backing from British Leyland, which had a base in Cowley, modified the Mini Clubman and prepared it to win back-to-back championships in 1978 and 1979.

But Sir Winston Churchill's campaign car is expected to be the biggest draw.

The Daimler - of which only three survived when the factory was demolished during the Blitz in 1940 - was fitted with a loud speaker system and Churchill would sit on the rear deck and address crowds as he was driven across the country.

The cars can be viewed on Friday from midday to 6pm on Friday and from 10am on Saturday until the auction begins at 1pm.