Iranian President auctions car for charity

Iran's populist President is putting his 33-year-old Peugeot up for auction for a charity that funds housing projects for young people.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's move is seen as a bid to appeal to the young and attract attention to housing projects he espoused during his campaigns, promising to put a roof over the head of every poor Iranian.

Mr Ahmadinejad had made a point of being seen in the gleaming white Peugeot 504 sedan when he was Tehran mayor and before becoming President in 2005. He has rarely used the car recently, probably because of security measures. Though hardly a collector's item, the 1977-make car will be auctioned at an exhibition of 70 classic cars in February in the south-western city of Abadan. Hopes are it will fetch more than the $2,000 such cars usually go for on the Iranian market.