How Rowan Atkinson’s McLaren F1 Went From Crash Scenes to Auction Dreams

One of the most popular TV characters ever, Mr. Bean has been a household name since its premiere in the 1990s. In the show, Mr. Bean, a lonely man who lives with a teddy bear, drives a beat-up old mini, recognizable for its bright green color. Rowan Atkinson, who played the role of the iconic character, however, used to drive some of the most desired cars in the world.

In 1997, Atkinson got his hands on the McLaren F1, one of the world’s first-ever hypercar, which cost a staggering $830k and could reach speeds of up to 240mph. It was just one of 64 road cars the British squad had produced till then, which proved just how rare it was.

Much like his character Mr. Bean, who often crashed his car in the show, Atkinson had similar mishaps in real life. He once rear-ended another car with his McLaren F1, damaging its hood, which ought to have taught him to be more careful.

However, he suffered another much bigger crash in 2012. This time his poor driving caused the car to strike a tree and a road sign, engulfing the iconic model in flames.

In 2013, Rowan Atkinson aka Mr Bean broke the record for the most expensive car repair bill. His insurance company had to pay more than £900,000 after he crashed his McLaren F1.#MythAndFact pic.twitter.com/Bp2FOsTY09

— THE G•O•A•T  (@OfficialUdiBoy) January 20, 2021

Thankfully, he was alright and this time, he had prepared for the eventuality of the McLaren F1 crash. He got it repaired, thanks to his insurance payout, which cost $1.4 million — the UK’s highest to date, according to Top Gear. Nevertheless, Atkinson did not hold on to the McLaren F1 for much longer as in 2015, he sold it in an auction for $12.2 million, which means he made a profit north of $11 million.

It was a brilliant sell for our very own Mr. Bean, who cashed out big on a car in which he had suffered two big shunts. Although Atkinson publicly stated that he parted ways with the McLaren F1 because he was done enjoying it, in reality, he didn’t like the attention it brought.