In a case of life imitating art, TV's most famous second-hand car dealer Arthur Daley's 1981 Daimler Sovereign is up for sale.

And it will be joined by Minder sidekick Terry McCann's Ford Capri at the H&H Classics auction at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford on April 20.

The Daimler, a 'nice little runner' with 43,990 miles on the clock and an estimate of £35,000 to £45,000, comes with the glamour of the original Minder show, which ran for 10 series between 1979 and 1994. A huge hit with viewers, myself include, it starred George Cole – who died in August aged 90 – as highly-unscrupulous dealer Arthur and Dennis Waterman as his honest and likable bodyguard.

The Daimler's bodywork has been recently restored and benefited from £5,000 of specialist mechanical fettling. In the mid-1980s Cole wanted to buy the car but it was given away in a TV Times competition.

The 2.0-litre white Capri was driven by Terry in the opening sequence and during the series. It is believed to have come close to being crushed but, now rejuvenated, has 88,700 miles on the clock. Its estimate is £65,000 to £85,000 as Capris are on the up and up. At this figure it would potentially be a new world record for a 2.0-litre model, clear indication of the power of celebrity and provenance.

James McWilliam, H&H motorcar specialist, said: 'Playing a major role in a TV series can have a big impact on value as witnessed by the 1976 Jaguar XJ12C that we sold last October which made a record breaking £69,440 despite needing total restoration due to its New Avengers TV provenance. These cars are celebrities in their own right.'