Adolf Hitler's armour-plated Mercedes-Benz set to fetch millions at auction

The 1939 Mercedes-Benz 770 Grosser Offener Tourenwagen is being described as "the most historically significant automobile ever offered for public sale".

It was the most technologically advanced car of its time - a beautifully-built four-seat convertible used for the state visit of Mussolini and 1940 victory parade in Berlin after the Nazis defeated the French.

The Mercedes was fitted with a 7.7-litre engine which gave the enormous limo a top speed of more than 100mph. It was armour plated and boasted 30mm thick bulletproof glass.

It was last used on parade at the Old Reichstag on May 4, 1941, where Hitler celebrated the defeat of Yugoslavia and Greece.