In early August 2011, Rowan Atkinson, the man best known for playing Mr. Bean, crashed his dark red McLaren F1 for the second time and managed to cheat death after walking away with just a badly damaged shoulder.
However, after the F1’s repair bill was recently leaked online, it wouldn’t just be his shoulder that’s damaged, as his bank account would have taken a hefty knock. Ben Stagg, speciality insurer with RK Harrison confirmed the repair bill was 900,000 pounds, or $1.4 million after the F1 was totalled in mid-2011.
On first look, that repair bill may sound insane, but when you consider than some F1’s have managed to sell for over $5 million, the fact that Atkinson drives his F1 extensively and the obvious point that it’s his most prized possession, we’re not really surprised the British actor didn’t let the insurers take his 240mph supercar to the scrap heap.
Ben Stagg stated that because “All modern supercars are predominantly carbon fiber — most Lamborghinis, most Ferraris — and the smallest ding in carbon fiber is a big repair job. And part of the engine bay is gold, that’s the best heat conductor. It’s the materials they used compared to everyday cars that make it so expensive.”
While speaking with Classic & Sports Car Magazine, Atkinson stated, “It depresses me when great cars are hidden away. It’s a crime not to use it.”
[Via Yahoo Auto’s]
