Rare Mercedes to be auctioned in Calif.

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PEBBLE BEACH, Calif., Aug. 16 (UPI) -- Experts said a 1936 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster due to be auctioned in California is one of the world's rarest cars.

The car, known as the Von Krieger Special Roadster because it was the favorite vehicle of Prussian Baroness Gisela von Krieger, is due to be auctioned by Gooding & Co. following the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance car show Sunday, the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday.

The auctioneer said the car, owned by New Hampshire businessman Lee Herrington, is expected to sell for at least $10 million and may surpass the $16.4 million record for an automobile sold at auction.

The car is one of only an estimated dozen left in the world.

"It is one of those cars that exemplify everything that is desirable about a classic automobile," said Leslie Kendall, curator of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. "It is gorgeous, it is powerful, it is rare and it was expensive."