Generally more known for cruising around in a green ’76 Mini as Mr. Bean, in the real world Actor Rowan Atkinson is an avid car and race enthusiast whose had quite recognized lineup of cars throughout his career. The prize of the collection, however, has always been his McLaren F1. After 18 years, its been reported by Western Morning News that Atkinson has put his prized sports car is up for sale, and the asking price is $12 Million.
That number is more staggering than you think if you consider the history of this particular car. When it was first purchased in 1997, the McLaren cost the actor upwards of $810,000, but the legendary status of this car has upped its worth considerably. Like a proper enthusiast, Atkinson didn’t stuff this car into a garage for occasional amusement, he’s been driving it a lot over the course of nearly two decades. the F1 has 41,000 miles on it, which in supercar terms means it was a workhorse.
He’s also wrecked it twice, the most amazing of which was not long ago in 2011, when it hit a tree after he lost control, almost severing the car in half. Engineers at McLaren Special Operations estimated the costs of repairs, which came out to $1,366,160, a price is insurance actually approved, given the rising value of the car.
There’s the celebrity value, too. It’s not only owned by one of the England’s living legends, but there’s a good chance you’ve seen it in action: Atkinson’s car was borrowed by the Top Gear team to set it against a Bugatti Veyron in a drag race.
The car was in tip top shape after having essentially been rebuilt by McLaren. It’s mid-mounted 6.1-liter V12 engine was capable of producing 627 horsepower back in its heyday, giving it a 0-60 speed of 3.2 seconds and a top speed of an amazing 241 mph. Its rear-wheel drive, manual transmission, lack of driving assists and performance capabilities make it the holy grail of sports cars to many enthusiasts.
