Police in the eastern city of Leipzig said they were still investigating the scene of the blaze, which occurred on Friday night.

"We are currently assuming it was arson," a police spokeswoman said, adding there had been no claim of responsibility.

Petry wrote on Twitter: "Germany 2016: Yesterday an arson attack was committed on my car. What have we come to?"

The Alternative for Germany (AfD) has profited from voters' concerns about Chancellor Angela Merkel's policy towards migrants and refugees. A million migrants and refugees arrived in Germany last year, mainly from the war-torn Middle East and northern Africa.

The migrant influx has led to an increase in suspected right-wing arsonist attacks on refugee shelters. Less discussed in Germany is left-wing violence targeting the right wing with increasing frequency.

Earlier this month, the anti-immigrant party pummeled Merkel's party into third place in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania's state elections on September 4, taking 20.8 percent of the vote to the CDU's 19 percent.

The AfD is on its way to becoming the third-strongest party in national elections, polling at 15 percent. It is represented in nine of Germany's 16 federal states.

cw/sms (AFP, dpa, Reuters)