Hitlers car

The grand prix car, a 1939 Auto Union D-Type racer and one of only five originals left from the Auto Union series built in Germany between 1933 and 1939, was expected to fetch between $US12 million and $US15 million ($A19 million) at an auction on February 17 in Paris

In 1933, the German government under Adolf Hitler paid 500,000 reichmarks to Mercedes and Auto Union, now known as Audi, to develop revolutionary racing cars.

The D-type had a number of features that were extremely advanced for its day, including an engine mounted behind the driver and four-wheel independent suspension. Its twin-supercharged 3-liter V12 engine can produce 485 horsepower, giving the car a top speed of 185 miles per hour.