A pair of 1941 Lincoln cars that were used in Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather are to be sold at Bonhams' Scottsdale auction on January 17.

Just 250 models were built in 1941, with the Custom Limousine reserved for the most prestigious customers

The cars, a Lincoln Custom Limousine and Continental Coupe, will be sold without reserve. They have been consigned to the monumental sale from the estate of renowned classic car collector Eugene Beardslee, who originally supplied the cars for the 1972 movie.  

The 1941 Lincoln Custom Limousine can be seen in the film being driven by one of the Corleone family's enemies. It is also featured in the background of the wedding scene.

There were just 295 Custom Limousines built in 1941, with the model standing as one of the most distinctive and rare body styles in Lincoln history. It sports a 292ci L-head V12 engine, matched to a 3-speed manual transmission. It was restored prior to filming and has since been kept in climate-controlled conditions.

Two other Continental Coupes received gunshots and their doors filled with explosives

The Continental Coupe is featured in the memorable scene in which Sonny Corleone (as played by James Caan) is assassinated in his car at a Long Island tollbooth. One of the film's most famous moments, this will surely boost its value at auction.

Those who have seen the film may be concerned about the bullets that riddled the car's body during the scene. Luckily, Beardslee's model was replaced by two identical Continental Coupe's before the shooting was filmed. It shares the V12 engine and 3-speed transmission of the Custom Limousine.

Paul Fraser Collectibles has a number of previews from the forthcoming Scottsdale auctions available in our Classic Cars news section. For more, and the top results from the highly-anticipated event, sign up to our free weekly newsletter.