Winning Lotus under the hammer

The ex Graham Hill Gold Leaf Lotus 49 will be auctioned off at Goodwood in June.

Graham Hill's car expected to fetch up to $2 million

An ex-Graham Hill Lotus 49-R8 Formula One car from the late 1960s is expected to fetch as much as $2 million when it's auctioned in June.

The legendary Gold Leaf-sponsored 49-R8, which helped Hill win his second Formula One World Championship in 1968, will be auctioned as part of a Bonhams classic car auction at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed in England.

Expected to sell between $1.16 million and $2 million, the race car was one of 12 Lotus built for use in Formula One during 1968.

Graham Hill won his second F1 championship in the Lotus 49-R8 in 1968.

Powered by the almighty Cosworth-Ford DFV 3.0-litre V8 engine - designed as a structural part of the car - it could produce between 295 and 372kW depending on tune. Racing driver Richard Attwood also competed in the car in 1969, placing fourth in that year's Monaco Grand Prix. The 49 was replaced by the 72 in 1970.

The ex-Hill Lotus was sold on to an Australian collector in 1972, who restored it to its current condition. Other cars up for auction will be announced at a later date.