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

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.

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. Paul Franks / newsteam | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images

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.

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.

(Rowan Atkinson as “Mr Bean” in a 1976 British Leyland Mini 1000 car. MJ Kim | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images)

Ref: Mr Bean crashes McLaren F1 twice, sells for $12.2 million (cnbc)