The Brits have some of the best comedians in history, and Alfred Hawthorne Hill aka Benny Hill and Rowan Atkinson, also known as Mr Bean, are just two of the comic geniuses that have delighted entire generations. But their absurd TV personas are so exaggerated and overhyped that sometimes it is easy to forget that these people have a life away from the comedy stage and TV shows. Take for example, Mr. Bean, in his hit show, the funny man was driving the quirky Leyland Mini 1000 Mark IV in Citron Green, but in reality, Rowan Atkinson is more like a James Bond villain thanks to his insanely beautiful and expensive car collection.
Atkinson, a proper car fanatic, owns some of the most spectacular vehicles that were built in the last decades. From the sleek Audi A8, to the spectacular 2011 Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead and the timeless 2014 Bentley Mulsanne Birkin, Atkinson has several unique automobiles in his car collection. Not for nothing, his automobile selection is worth more than $15 million. But with so many impressive cars, it was difficult to select a top 3 of the best, so we had to agree with Atkinson’s assessment and crown the McLaren F1 as the best vehicle in his collection. Here’s what happened to the supercar.
The Rowan Atkinson’s Spectacular McLaren F1
Without a doubt, a McLaren F1 commands a lot of attention. But imagine how you’d feel if you’d owned one of the most spectacular automobiles ever built and this exotic car would come in a burgundy color. There’s no doubt that this car would transform you instantly into the center of attention, putting all the focus on you. At least, that’s what we got from Rowan Atkinson’s comments at the most recent GQ Heroes 2022 summit.
“It attracted a lot of fuss and bother on the road. I liked it when no one knew what it was,” Atkinson said while mentioning his favorite car, the F1. He continued: “Sometimes you have to suffer some attention to drive the car you want to drive.”
Despite the mass hysteria that this F1 might have provoked on the roads, Atkinson didn’t shy away from driving it. In fact, it’s nice to see a celebrity that really enjoyed his car instead of using it only as a show pony. According to Car Magazine, the British comedian “used the car as its inventors intended, on school runs, cross-continental holidays and just for ‘pootling about’ to the shops.”
The Rowan Atkinson’s McLaren F1: Crashes
During the 17 years that Atkinson owned the F1, he covered almost 41,000 miles with it and crash it twice. To be fair, both facts seem quite astonishing if we consider that this is an exotic car. Usually, the millionaires and wealthy executives who drop big bucks on their exotic cars try to keep their mileage low because they know their vehicles lose value with mileage. In addition, driving them on national roads and highways is quite inconvenient.
Considering that owners don’t really “enjoy” these automobiles, hearing about car crashes and accidents is quite rare. But Atkinson made the impossible possible when news broke out that he crashed his F1 not once, but twice. In 1999, the iconic actor drove into the back of a Rover Metro. And if that wasn’t serious enough, in 2011, Atkinson injured his shoulder after hitting a tree and road sign in Cambridgeshire.
Why Did Rowan Atkinson Sell His McLaren F1?
via: Rowan Atkinson
Some say that his divorce from the wife of 24 years played an important role in the saga. Others argued that Atkinson was a shrewd investor who understood that the value of his beloved car skyrocketed in recent years. In fact, even Atkinson addressed in an interview, the recent success of the car: “What I liked about it is that hardly anyone else was interested in buying it [when I got one]. They only made 100 or so,” said Atkinson. “By the time I sold it, it was aspirational. It had gone from a millionaire’s car to a billionaire’s car.”
To be sure, selling the F1 for £8 million ($12.35 million) when he paid for it £640,000 seems like an incredible deal.
Where Is The Rowan Atkinson’s McLaren F1 Today?
London-based Taylor & Crawley was in charge of retailing Atkinson’s F1 exotic car that was powered by a 6.1-liter V12 engine. With that being said, it appears that Atkinson’s car enthusiasm and product knowledge have inspired car dealers.
David Clark, owner of Taylor & Crawley told CNBC that the British actor is “one of the most enthusiastic car owners” he ever met. Clark also enjoyed that Atkinson is “a real user of his cars and that is how he derives his enjoyment: from the using, not the having.”
