Bernard Madoff's Mercedes Going on Auction Block

NEW YORK — Disgraced financier Bernard Madoff used to own a Mercedes-Benz, and the car is going on the auction block as part of his forfeiture of assets. But, like so much about Madoff, the reality has little to do with what you'd expect.

It's a 2001 E320 station wagon with more than 44,000 miles on the odometer, valued at somewhere between $13,727 and $19,530 based on Edmunds.com estimates.

The car is to be part of a U.S. Marshals Service sale of forfeited property, which takes place in East Brunswick, New Jersey, on October 23. CWS Marketing Group is handling the auction.

The Madoff Merc sale is not expected to hold a candle, pricewise, to the 2006 Mercedes SLR McLaren — not Madoff's — that will be auctioned at the same event, with an estimated value of some $357,000. For that one, CWS asks for a $5,000 deposit just to "access the area" to get a closer look. Bank checks only, please.

Inside Line says: Probably not the most desirable collector's item, considering the source. — Laura Sky Brown, Correspondent