A RACING car built in Bolton is to go under the hammer.

The Chevron B19, created in a workshop in Chorley Old Road in the late 1960s, was driven by Swiss race ace Jo Siffert during his rise to the top.

It is one of just 35 Chevron B19 cars built by the company and is expected to sell for around £120,000 at auction at Sandown Park racecourse in Surrey on March 18.

Now owned by Le Mans winner Allen Timpany, the car is among a number of classic vehicles on sale.

Laurence Sayers Gillan, managing director of Barons Auctioneers, said: "These cars rarely come on the market and are eligible for some of the most demanding and prestigious historic racing events across the world. It will come as no surprise to hear that we have already received inquiries from around the world."

The Chevron brand was founded in 1965 by Derek Bennett, who was born in Manchester and grew up in Prestwich.

He originally operated from a tiny workshop in Salford, but soon moved to a mill at 105 Chorley Old Road, Bolton. There, he built a series of legendary racing cars, including the iconic B2 and the B40 which was driven by Alain Prost during the 1978 European Formula 2 season.

In the late 1960s and the 1970s, Chevrons were seen across most categories of racing and were pivotal to the careers of six future F1 world champions, including Nikki Lauda and Keke Rosberg.

Siffert, who made 100 grand prix starts in his nine-year F1 career, was amongst the ranks of Chevron fans and also acted as a Chevron agent. It was in this capacity that the B19 up for auction was sent to him in Switzerland.

Siffert supplied the car in 1971 to Frenchman Cyr Febbraio, who raced it extensively before selling it to Jean-Pierre Damais.

The car has been owned and raced by a succession of drivers and is currently owned by Allen Timpany who won the 2007 Le Mans LMP2.

The reputation of Chevron car maker Bennett soared, but his life was cut short as he worked on his most ambitious project - an F1 car - when he died in a hang gliding accident in 1978.

Production started to wane, but in the mid-1980s the firm was bought by husband and wife team, Vin and Helen Malkie, who now run the company from Northwich.

Mrs Malkie said: "The B19 car went up against models from much larger manufacturers, and made a name for itself, which was an impressive feat for a small car manufacturer."