• Crashed twice, first in 1999 and then 2011 when engine ended up 60ft away
  • But a British buyer has now forked out for one of only 64 McLaren F1 cars 
  • Atkinson has the second fastest time ever recorded on Top Gear track lap 



It may be 18 years old having covered 41,000 miles and been involved in two almighty crashes. 
But that has not deterred a petrol head from splashing out £8million on a prized McLaren F1 supercar belonging to Rowan Atkinson. 
The Mr Bean actor bought his beloved McLaren in 1997 for around £640,000 - making a tidy £7.3m profit on the motor. 
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The Mr Bean actor has sold his McLaren F1 for £8million, 18 years after buying the supercar for £640,000
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The Mr Bean actor has sold his McLaren F1 for £8million, 18 years after buying the supercar for £640,000
Atkinson, a car fanatic, sold the car for 'someone else to enjoy' after owning it for almost 20 years
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Atkinson, a car fanatic, sold the car for 'someone else to enjoy' after owning it for almost 20 years

This makes it one of the highest prices ever forked out for a car in the UK, with only 1960s Ferraris tending to fetch more.
It commanded the lucrative fee despite Atkinson, a car fanatic, crashing it twice.

The 60-year-old, first pranged the three-seater by ploughing into the back of a Rover Metro on the A6 at Forton, Lancashire, in October 1999. 
Then in 2011 he lost control on a slippery bend of the A605 near Peterborough and smashed into a tree. 
He escaped from the wreckage with a broken shoulder, but most of the car was destroyed, while the 6.1litre engine ended up 60 feet away.
That second crash ended in what is thought to be Britain's highest ever single car insurance payout, with the vehicle costing £900,000 to be rebuilt by McLaren. It also put up his annual insurance to an estimated £60,000.
The 60-year-old smashed the car in 2011 when he lost control on a bend of the A605 near Peterborough
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The 60-year-old smashed the car in 2011 when he lost control on a bend of the A605 near Peterborough
Atkinson escaped from the wreckage of the 2011 smash with a broken shoulder, but most of the car was destroyed
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Atkinson escaped from the wreckage of the 2011 smash with a broken shoulder, but most of the car was destroyed
The comedy star lost control of his McLaren F1, careering across the carriageway and into a tree and a road sign before the sports car burst into flames - it was mended and has now been sold for £8million
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The comedy star lost control of his McLaren F1, careering across the carriageway and into a tree and a road sign before the sports car burst into flames - it was mended and has now been sold for £8million

SUPERCAR AT A SUPER PRICE: MCLAREN'S F1 BY NUMBERS

Cost new: £540,000 (Atkinson paid £640,000 for his in 1997)
Value now: Up to £3.5 million
Engine: 6.1-litre V12 developing 627bhp
Acceleration: 0-60mph in 3.2 seconds; 0-100mph in 6.3 seconds
Top speed: 240mph
Seats: Three with driver centrally positioned
But it seems the accidents may have actually added to the value of the F1, which was one of only 64 ever built. 
Atkinson put it on the market for £8million with specialist car dealer Taylor & Crawley, owned by David Clark, formerly a director at McLaren.
Mr Clark confirmed the car with the 'interesting history' had now been sold. 
He said: 'Everyone is very pleased with the sale. There was interest from around the world and it has gone to a British buyer who will drive it like Rowan did.
'It is one of the biggest ever deals in the UK. Rowan is pleased, but also maybe a bit sad as he did 40,000 miles in it.'
Atkinson also ploughed the car into the back of a Rover Metro in 1999 which ripped apart the front of the vehicle (pictured here following the crash)
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Atkinson also ploughed the car into the back of a Rover Metro in 1999 which ripped apart the front of the vehicle (pictured here following the crash)
Atkinson, a car fanatic, has an impressive collection of cars - he is pictured here in the famous yellow mini that was used by Mr Bean during the film premiere in 2007
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Atkinson, a car fanatic, has an impressive collection of cars - he is pictured here in the famous yellow mini that was used by Mr Bean during the film premiere in 2007
Atkinson, who last year split from his wife of 23 years, Sunetra, said he had never seen the car as an investment. 
When he put it up for sale, he said: 'I bought it for the quality of the thinking that went into its design, and now it has become a thing of value it is time for it to be enjoyed by someone else. 
'It's so quiet, so comfortable that you can use it, and enjoy it, on any journey. Most of the miles I have done in it are journeys you might do in any other car – going to Sainsbury's or doing the school run.
'What I enjoyed most about it when I first drove it was how lovely it was to drive slowly. To pootle is a pleasure.'
Atkinson first purchased the car in 1997 - he is pictured leaving the Prince Charles' 50th birthday party in 1998
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Atkinson first purchased the car in 1997 - he is pictured leaving the Prince Charles' 50th birthday party in 1998
The F1 is the world's fastest non-turbocharged production car, doing 0-62mph in 3.2 seconds. 
It does an average 15 miles to the gallon – just six in the worst case – and the engine bay is lined with 25g of gold foil.  
Atkinson, said to be worth £71million, owns an impressive collection that includes a Honda NSX, a Jaguar Mk7, an Aston Martin DB2, a vintage Ford Falcon, a 1939 BMW 328 and a Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe.
He boasts the second quickest time ever recorded on the 'Top Gear: Star in a reasonably priced car' with 1: 42, 2, with only Matt LeBlanc faster than him.
His time was quicker than all the Formula 1 drivers who appeared on the show, including Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel.   

FEEL OF A FORMULA 1 CAR: WHAT MAKES THE MCLAREN F1 SO SPECIAL

Most cars start to depreciate the moment they leave the showroom, but luxury vehicles tend to increase in value.
This is partly because manufacturers tightly control production, meaning there is a limited supply even for the super-rich. McLaren only ever built 64 F1s, all of them in the 1990s.
A lot of cars are indicative of the people who own them, and a lot of serious car collectors own an F1 and that gives it great credibility. 
It is also owned by celebrities such as Eric Clapton, Michael Schumacher, Ralph Lauren and Jay Leno, given it a sense of exclusivity. 
Atkinson's car is pretty much a brand-new car too after the work carried out by McLaren following his crash in 2011. It's got full tax and MoT and is ready to go.
It's the fastest non-turbocharged production car in the world at 240mph, doing 0-62mph in 3.2 seconds. The fastest of all is the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport (267 mph).
In the McLaren F1, the driver sits in the middle with the passengers on either side, which is a rare feature. This duplicates the racing heritage of the car and gives the feeling of being in a Formula 1 car centre seat.