British actor Rowan Atkinson of “Mr. Bean” fame has owned his McLaren F1 since it was new, but recently he went on a drive with Andrew Frankel and talked about how it was time for his beloved car to have a new chapter in its life. Despite 41,000 miles on the odometer and two accidents in the 17 years Atkinson has owned it, Frankel still estimates the asking price will be high.
How high? “My very strong suspicion is that it will begin with a ‘1’ and be followed by not six, but seven, digits,” he wrote in an article about the experience for Goodwood Road & Racing. He credits this estimate not just with the car’s history, or the fact that it has only had one owner, but with the overall rarity of the supercar. Only 107 were ever created, 64 of which were standard road cars like Atkinson’s. In addition, a reputable source tells us that the car is listed for £8 million, which is approximately $12 million USD at the current exchange rates. Stay with us for more information on the car’s price as it is revealed.
Surprisingly though, it isn’t the F1’s performance that Atkinson fell in love with, but the design of the car. Another article from Frankel in the Telegraph’s Cars section touched on the more specific qualities that make this car fascinating overall, and surprisingly, going slow was one of his favorite aspects.
“What I enjoyed most about it when I first drove it was how lovely it was to drive slowly. To pootle is a pleasure. Of course I’ve gone to a track and done 200mph in it, but for me it was always the vision of its designer Gordon Murray that made the F1 unique,” Atkinson told Frankel.
“Look at a modern supercar of comparable performance and it will be vast, heavy and offer little or no space for your luggage,” he continued. “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.”
Both articles state that the car is for sale through Taylor & Crawley, a London-based dealer of historic and race cars. As of now, their website does not include the F1 in its inventory, but be sure to stay with us for updates on pricing and how to purchase as it is released.
