Mr Bean’s Beloved McLaren F1 Up For Sale

It’s no secret that British comedian Rowan Atkinson, or Mr Bean as he is known world over, has been quite a car fanatic for years, having made several appearances and having had at least one crash at race tracks and events across the UK.

When not racing or acting, he’s known for driving and crashing (twice) a dark purple McLaren F1, which he has now put up for sale, saying “it is time for it to be enjoyed by someone else”.

Atkinson’s burgundy F1 is number 64 out of the run of 107 McLarens ever made. He isn’t just giving it away, though, with an asking price of 8 million pounds (nearly

N$138 000 000).

Atkinson bought the iconic McLaren new in 1997, but has crashed it at least twice since then.

The first was a low-speed hit in 1999, but a 2011 accident did much more harm. McLaren special operations reportedly estimated the cost to rebuild the F1 at 910 000 pounds (almost N$16.7 million with present exchange rates), and Atkinson’s insurance company paid to have it done, in the process becoming one of the highest single car insurance claims in British history.

Now, the McLaren is up for sale by broker Taylor and Crawley with 66 000kms on it. All that milage is telling. Atkinson used the car as its designers intended, on school runs, cross-Continental holidays and just for running down to the shops. It’s good to see such an idolised, and expensive, supercar being used and loved so vigorously.

Atkinson told the Daily Telegraph: “Look at a modern supercar of comparable performance and it will be vast, heavy and offer little or no space for your luggage.”

“By comparison, the F1 is tiny, yet it will seat three, store enough for you all to go on holiday and still finds space for a proper, normally aspirated 6.1-litre V12 engine. And it weighs the same as a shopping car. Nothing has ever been designed before or since with such imagination and clarity of thought.”

The price of Atkinson’s F1 is certainly gut wrenchingly eye watering, but it’s definitely been a shrewd investment by the comedic actor who paid £540,000 (N$ 9.3 million) for it new in 1997. One sold in the UK for about $5.6 million (N$ 64 million) in 2012 and a GTR version went for $5.28 million in 2014.

“Apart from the accidents, I think Rowan has enjoyed every minute with the F1 and I think he will have withdrawal when it is gone,” said David Clark, owner of Taylor and Crawley, to the Western Daily Press.

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