A MODIFIED 1939 car immortalised by its life as a best-selling Hot Wheels toy car will go under the hammer for £300,000.

The one-of-a-kind Lincoln-Zephyr won a legion of fans when toy manufacturer Mattel made a scale model in the late 90s.

4 Original Scrape model is expected to sell for £300,000 Credit: RobinAdams/RMSothebys/BNPS

The toy car - named Scrape - was instantly recognisable to a generation of kids thanks to its orange flames emblazoned across its black bodywork.

The original model was largely forgotten about until 20 years ago when Terry Cook, ex-editor of popular car mag Hot Rod, spent thousands of hours customising one.

The car's front and rear bumpers were made wider, the pillars between the front and backseat windows removed, and the roof and entire car lowered closer to the ground.

4 Scrape was immortalised in 90s Hot Wheels toy car

Pneumatic suspension allows the car to be brought up to standard height so it can be driven around comfortably on the road.

Prior to this modern incarnation the Lincoln-Zephyr was relatively little-known but it soon became an icon of custom build culture, leading to its affiliation with Hot Wheels.

In 1999 Mr Cook sold the Zephyr for £190,000 and it was displayed in the Los Angeles Petersen Automotive Museum until 2013, when it was auctioned again.

4 Iconic shape of the Zephr is a one-off design Credit: RobinAdams/RMSothebys/BNPS

On that occasion it was snapped up for a staggeringly low price of £42,000 by Barry Weiss, star of reality TV show Storage Wars, who is now looking to cash in after restoring it.

Jake Auerbach, a car specialist at auction house RM Sothebys, said: "The car is known as 'Scrape' quite simply because the body and chassis sit flush with the ground and scrape over everything except the most perfectly level surface.

"The quality of fit and finish on this car is nothing short of exceptional and would be nearly impossible to duplicate. It is a true work of art.

4 Interior has been lovingly restored Credit: RobinAdams/RMSothebys/BNPS

"While the Lincoln-Zephyr itself is not a particularly rare car, this custom is the original Scrape and there is only one.

"Mattel released a Hot Wheels toy version of Scrape in the late 1990s, which proved to be one of their best selling and most popular releases of the decade.

"For that reason, the car has an intensely nostalgic connection for an entire generation of enthusiasts."

The Lincoln-Zephyr 'Scrape' will be sold in Santa Monica, California, on June 24.