NEWS COPY – WITH PICTURES
Rowan Atkinson is laughing all the way to the bank after he put his infamous McLaren F1 supercar on the market for a whopping #8 MILLION.
The comic icon, 60, bought the British supercar new in 1997 for a then staggering #540,000.
However, he has crashed the 241mph car on two occasions, once into a Metro and in 2011 he lost control on a slippery bend and smashed into a tree.
The second crash ended in what is thought to be the UK’s highest ever single car insurance payout, with the car costing #900,000 to be repaired.
Despite the accidents, the value of Atkinson’s F1 has continued to soar and he has taken the tough decision to sell it.
He has now put the record-breaking F1 on the market with luxury London dealer Taylor & Crawley for #8 MILLION ($12m).
David Clark, the owner of Taylor and Crawley, has the job of finding Rowan’s F1 a new owner.
Mr Clark worked for McLaren in the mid-1990s when they launched the F1 and knows the car better than most.
He said: “If I had the choice of buying a 1,000 mile McLaren F1 that has been hidden away or Rowan’s with 41,000 miles I would take Rowan’s.
“It has the interesting history and this is what people look for.
“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. Jay Leno has one, Ralph Lauren has more than one.
“What is attractive about the car is the simplicity of it. You can drive it to the shops like it is a Volkswagen Golf and it is also a good car on a circuit.
“But the F1 is at its best on the road. That is where you get the most enjoyment.
“Companies have spent a lot of time and money trying to better the F1 but I don’t think it has an equal in modern times. The F1 is unquestionably the modern day Ferrari 250 GTO.”
Whoever has deep enough pockets to buy the F1 will get what is acknowledged by many experts as the greatest ever sports car.
Designed by Gordon Murray, the carbon fiber car has an unusual three-seat layout with the driver sat in the middle.
Shortly after buying the F1, Atkinson strapped his two young children into their child seats and they went on a five-hour drive to Cornwall for a holiday.
Behind them was a 6.1-litre V12 engine developing a staggering 627bhp – a record for a non super or turbocharged car.
The result is a supercar which will do 0-62mph in 3.2 seconds and accelerate all the way to 241mph.
However, it hasn’t always been fun for the comedian.
In August 2011, he hit a slippery patch of road near Peterborough in August 2011 which caused the F1 to get the better of him.
He crashed into a tree and suffered a shoulder injury which left the engine 20 yards away from the car.
Technicians at McLaren Special Operations spent four weeks calculating how much the car would cost to repair, with the figure standing at an eye-watering #910,000.
The job was given the go-ahead by the insurance company because the F1′s value has soared.
He had the car back on the road in 2012 and last year – during an F1 tour in Italy – he was the first on the scene when someone badly crashed their McLaren.
Mr Clark added: “I am expecting a lot of interest in the F1.
“Anyone who wants a wonderful car with a great story, which includes the accidents, then this F1 is a fantastic thing.
“Apart from the accidents, I think Rowan has enjoyed every minute with the F1 and I think he will have withdrawal when it is gone.
“It is pretty much a brand new car too after the work carried out by McLaren. I think I would have it myself if I didn’t already own one.”
ENDS
