Wealth

Mr Bean crashes McLaren F1 twice, sells for $12.2 million

Rowan Atkinson
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Like his trademark lime green Mini, Mr Bean has given another of his cherished cars quite a battering, but somehow has made it through with a tidy profit.

British comedian Rowan Atkinson, the man behind the comic character, has sold his McLaren F1 supercar for £8 million ($12.2 million), making well over £7 million in profit, since the model was purchased back in 1997.

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The dark burgundy McLaren F1 may be a beauty with its 6.1 liter V12 engine and 240mph top speed, yet the celebrity-owned super car has been through two serious crashes.

In 2011, Atkinson escaped with an injured shoulder after crashing his McLaren into a tree and road sign, before it caught fire in Cambridgeshire. His insurance company wasn't best pleased when repairs shot up to £910,000 for the incident. Before then, in 1999, Atkinson drove into the back of a Rover Metro, causing damage to the car's bonnet.

Rowan Atkinson's McLaren F1 crash in 2011
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David Clark, owner of specialist car dealer Taylor & Crawley who sold the car, in a statement praised Atkinson as true car fan.

"He is one of the most enthusiastic car owners I have ever met, a real user of his cars and that is how he derives his enjoyment: from the using, not the having."

Despite being 18 years old, its original model costing around £540,000, along with all its former prangs, the super car still sold for a record value. The original value of the model was priced around £540,000, however, reports suggest Atkinson may have paid up to £640,000 for his in 1997.

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In terms of making such a profit, Neil King, automotive analyst at Euromonitor International said that the model's rarity and its celebrity ownership would've significantly helped elevate the car's value.

"Classic supercars have soared in value in recent years, partly as they are now seen as a safer investment than gold. However, the pedigree and rarity of the McLaren F1 (even after two crashes) has granted it access to the most exclusive car club that is mainly frequented by just a handful of the rare Ferraris such as the 250 GTO Berlinetta that sold at the record auction price of £22 million last year.

"As for the impact of it being Rowan Atkinson's car, this has undoubtedly added a premium but it would probably be an incredible challenge to find a McLaren F1 for sale now that hadn't been owned by a celebrity or renowned entrepreneur," King told CNBC.

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Rowan Atkinson as "Mr Bean" in a 1976 British Leyland Mini 1000 car
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