BMW 3-series car

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - In honor of the tenth anniversary of democracy in South Africa, BMW will be auctioning off ten special edition 325i's.

The cars were built in BMWs factory in Rosslyn, South Africa and are signed by former political prisoner and, later, South African president Nelson Mandela.

Signature on BMW 3-series trim piece

Workers in the factory donated their time to build the cars, said Michael McHale, a spokesperson for BMW of North America. Many suppliers also donated components from which the cars were assembled, he said. A total of about 1,500 man hours went into building the cars, according to BMW.

Two of the cars will be auctioned in the United States. The time and place of the auction has not yet been determined, said McHale. The other eight cars will be auctioned in South Africa, Australia, England, New Zealand and Germany.

Proceeds from the sale of the cars will go to the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund. BMW North America hopes to raise $100,000 from the sale of the two cars here, McHale said.

Mandela's signature appears on an interior trim panel. The cars to be sold in the U.S., which would ordinarily have a sticker price of about $38,400, are red with beige leather interiors and come equipped with BMW's sport package.