Rowan Atkinson’s rare 1997 McLaren F1 damaged so severely it required seven-figure repair costs

Mr. Bean and Blackadder star Rowan Atkinson crashed his McLaren F1 supercar twice, and the damage was so severe that a seven-figure repair bill was required.

The comedy star has always been an automotive enthusiast, and he once said he bought the F1 ‘for the quality’ of the car.

But his time as a supercar owner wasn’t plain sailing, thanks to crashing it twice and paying a massive repair bill.

Despite that, when Atkinson sold the car in 2015, he still made a tidy profit out of the F1.

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Why Atkinson bought the McLaren F1

The McLaren F1 is still regarded as one of the greatest supercars ever made, and that’s exactly why Atkinson bought one.

He bought his example in 1997, which was chassis number 61 out of 64.

With its high asking price, it showed how much love the actor loved cars.

Back in the late 1990s, the car was worth around $830,000.

This was after Blackadder and the original Mr. Bean when his fame was at its height.

Atkinson, with his love of cars, was very happy to pay that amount.

In 2025, the F1 is worth around $20 million.

However, it was only two years into his ownership that the star had his first accident in the supercar.

Atkinson had two accidents in the supercar

In 1999, Atkinson rear-ended a car in front of him, damaging the hood of the F1.

The damage was comparatively light.

However, it was an accident he had in 2011 that saw the actor pay his huge repair bill.

While driving along a country road, Atkinson lost control of the McLaren and speared off into a road sign and a tree.

The car was sheared in two, and there was also a small fire as a result of the accident.

That led to what was the biggest insurance payout recorded in Britain, costing $1.4 million in 2013.

The repair took two years to complete, and in 2015 Atkinson decided to sell the car to someone else.

The actor made $11.3 million on the F1 when he sold it.

He was more than happy for someone else to drive and enjoy what is still one of the best supercars ever made.

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