A collection of 300 model cars estimated to be worth £20,000 will go on sale at an auction next week.

The cars were amassed over two decades by motoring fan Alan Barrett, who stored it at his home near Glasgow until he died in March last year aged 79.

His son Geoff, 49, who is selling the collection, said family holidays often included a trip to a race track, and his father was always on the lookout for more model cars.

He went on: “We used to joke that if you cut him, he would bleed BMW.

“Dad loved cars and all things mechanical.

“We have our memories of him and have kept or given away a few of the cars to people that meant something to him.

“We do not want the collection that he loved so much to gather dust and are hoping that model car enthusiasts will be able to enjoy them just as he did.”

The lots include BMW M3s from the 1980s and 1990s, a 1960 Maserati Tipo 61 and a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT.

They will go under the hammer at Special Auction Services in Newbury, Berkshire, on July 18.

The company’s toy expert, David Kemp, said: “One of the fantastic things about Alan’s collection is that it came about from his love of the actual cars themselves and that he was also interested in the mechanics of making these scale models.

“Alan’s collection is one of the most significant 1:18 scale model collections we’ve ever been asked to sell and the lots on offer are sure to appeal to collectors worldwide.”