French owner of the Diana death crash car wants it back... to sell to Fayed

The wreckage of the black S280, which hit an underpass wall killing Princess Diana, her boyfriend Dodi Fayed and driver Henri Paul, has been in a secure Metropolitan Police compound in South London since July, 2005.

It was shipped from France for examination prior to the inquest into Diana’s death, which five months ago ruled it was accidental.

Aftermath: Police prepare to move the Mercedes following the crash. Family members want the car destroyed rather than kept as a ghoulish keepsake

But now Jean-Francois Musa, manager of Paris-based Etoile Limousines, is demanding the car back, saying: ‘It’s worth a great deal of money.’

He also says he will offer it to Dodi’s father, Mohamed Al Fayed, although last night the Harrods owner rejected the idea as ‘disgusting’.

Senior Royal sources last night disclosed that William and Harry want the Mercedes disposed of ‘privately and discreetly’ to prevent it falling into the hands of ghoulish souvenir hunters.

It is believed the car - which cost £70,000 new - could fetch as much as £1million.

A senior aide said: ‘The Princes want a line drawn under the affair. Their view is the car should be disposed of privately and discreetly.’

The wreckage still bears blood stains from the night of August 31, 1997, when Henri Paul hit a concrete pillar in the Pont d’Alma tunnel at 65mph while photographers chased the car on motorcycles.

Diana and Dodi walk on a pontoon in the French Riviera seven days before the crash that claimed their lives

The Mail on Sunday has learned that informal offers to buy the wreck have come from all over the world, mainly America, where it has been compared with the cars in which actor James Dean died and President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

Monsieur Musa said last night: ‘It’s completely illegal that police should have been able to take the car away from us without compensation.

‘We have never received anything financially following this dreadful accident. The authorities involved seem to have no conception of property rights. Nobody has the right to dispose of the car except us.

‘We have never claimed on the insurance policy covering this vehicle, and see no reason why we should simply forget about it.’

A spokeswoman for Mr Al Fayed said yesterday: ‘It’s disgusting to think that someone wants to profit from the tragedy. Mr Al Fayed is not interested in pursuing this in any way.’

Former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Lord Stevens, who headed the Operation Paget investigation into Diana’s death, revealed last night that he is negotiating with the French judiciary and police to return the Mercedes to Paris.

Privately, Lord Stevens is understood to believe the car should be scrapped and melted down to prevent a ghoulish sale of all or parts of the vehicle. The negotiations with the French are expected to last months.

Lord Stevens said: ‘We have to return the car to France in the right circumstances and we will do that.’

The twisted remains of the 2,799cc Mercedes, are spread between two shipping containers. Before being shipped to the UK,  the car was sawn in two.

Scotland Yard said: ‘Lord Stevens is liaising with the French authorities regarding us returning the car to them but it is a decision for the French police as to what happens to the vehicle.’