Cars for cash

An item in today's The Daily Telegraph reports the owners of the Mercedes in which Princess Diana (and others) was mortally injured wants to retrieve the vehicle from where its been held in a police compound in South London since July 2005, and sell the car at auction. Expected return from the sale: $2.2 million. It could raise a question of ownership though - depending on whether Paris-based company Etoile Limousines ever lodged a successful insurance claim for the vehicle. While laws may be different there - here, once a claim is paid, the insurance company owns the vehicle. Of course, it's possible that Dodi Fayed's father may intercede to prevent the vehicle from going to public auction (although that could make it seem a little like emotional blackmail - or maybe that's just me). It reminds me of another macabre vehicle story - where author Stephen King's reportedly purchased the van which ran him over, causing him severe, almost fatal injuries (which may have been the inspiration for the main character in "Duma Key"). He reportedly wanted to make sure the van didn't become a souvenir for fans via eBay.