The Ford Model A of 1930 used by the notorious gangster John Dillinger in real life, and later by Johnny Depp in the blockbuster 2009 movie about Dillinger’s life, will be sold during the 39th Annual Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction in the States on Jan. 18-24.

“While Bonnie and Clyde, Machine Gun Kelly, Pretty Boy Floyd and Baby Face Nelson were media celebrities, none were more famous than John Dillinger,” said Barrett-Jackson Chairman/CEO Craig Jackson. “His daring robberies and hold ups fed the nation’s hunger for sensationalist news. His ability to elude capture and escape by using fast, reliable cars with seeming impunity made him a folk hero.”

This car is a piece of American gangster history and as much a part of Dillinger’s legend. Not only did this particular car get the famous gangster out of a fix with the cops in hot pursuit, it has also played an important role in history and cinema when it reprised its role in real life in the recent Johnny Depp movie about Dillinger.

The Ford was once impounded by the police. Bullet pocked and blood stained. The Model A was eventually returned, and it determined that it wasn’t worth repairing and remained parked for nearly three decades. The car ended up in the barn of Alfred Love’s mother in-law, where a particular Mr. Johnson rented a bungalow. Love bought it from Johnson and eventually passed it to his son, Mark, the current owner.”

The Ford was carefully restored in 2007 to appear in ‘Public Enemies’, preserving the original bullet holes and dimples under body filler and carefully documenting the original appearance including the upholstery soaked with blood. This car is comprehensively documented with its transfer paperwork, articles, books, before-restoration photographs and a selection of documents copied from the federal files.

“This Ford was at the center of one of the most famous shootouts in gangster history,” added Jackson. It is, more than any automobile and even firearm, identified with Dillinger. It’s been owned by only two families since it played a crucial role in the Little Bohemia Lodge escape. The Dillinger Ford Model A coupe would be an incredible addition to a collection, museum or attraction that commemorates the history of Ford, the Model A or American history.