Long-lost Star Wars X-Wing model to be auctioned, bids starting at $400,000

To be auctioned mid-October, the X-wing fighter from the original Star Wars film was found in model-maker Greg Jein’s collection. Photograph: Tony Gutierrez/AP

A long-lost model of an X-Wing Fighter that was used in the climactic battle in the original Star Wars film has been put up for auction, with bids starting at US$400,000 (£320,000, AU$625,000).

The 20-inch model was discovered in the collection of model-maker Greg Jein, who was nominated for an Oscar for his work on 1941 and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Jein died in May last year, aged 76.