This stunning 1935 Alfa Romeo 6C 2300 Pescara Spyder would probably be worth a fair sum even if it didn’t have a remarkable history, but it does.

The rare two-seater was built as a gift for Benito Mussolini from the Italian automaker, and is now set to go up for auction, where bidding is expected to go as high as $1.5 million.

(Click on the jump to read on about Mussolini’s Alfa.)

As the story goes, Il Duce received the lovely sportster from Alfa after he intervened to keep the company solvent during the Great Depression. A great motorsports fan, Mussolini ensured that the Italian state was there to keep the sporting Alfa Romeo afloat during those lean years.

Later, the dictator had the 6C entered into the 1936 Mille Miglia, where his chauffeur raced the car to a more than respectable 13th place finish.

Said specialist Damian Jones of H&H Classic Auctions, “The car's racing history alone makes it special, but how many cars have a World War II dictator in their service book?