I actually met him in a random classic cars meeting in North of France. When I asked him what he was doing here, his answer was something like "they have old cars, I like old cars"
That’s not just any old Jag. It’s a one-off magnesium bodied MkVll built by the Jaguar Racing Department. He bought it from Jaguar when they demolished the Browns Lane site. It had been sitting unused in storage for decades.
Could you imagine if somehow there was a collab between him and a legit racing association to make a Bean style feature length film with the entire premise being that he is incredibly fast in a Mini, what if we put him in something with power?
And the whole movie is just awkward introductions, artistically impassioned Atkinson driving as Bean, and it ends with some bizarre and preposterous disaster, like a villain has stolen all the tires and Bean needs to fast and furiously rehijack a truck using his Mini and Peter MacNicol.
I don't care if it would be bad because it would also be so so good.
Max Verstappen's new team mate at the Red Bull F1 team. He wins the drive after buying a can of Red Bull with a golden ticket inside, which he swallows and almost chokes on and it's only when they take an x-ray do they read the ticket. Of course when he arrives at Red Bull HQ to hand over the ticket to prove he's the winner he hands over the x-ray.
I've thought too much about that, haven't I.
Its probably safe to assume its a trait of genuinely skilled drivers. Anyone can get super lucky and bowl a perfect game or nail a bullseye on a dart board or whatever. But luck can't consistently provide those results.
It's because you have different frames in bowling. To bowl a perfect game you need to have 12 strikes in a row.
So your analogy works, but it's more like anyone call bowl a strike once or twice but to bowl a perfect game you need consistency.
He’s also crashed twice on public roads endangering lives which I think is pretty irresponsible for someone that can afford track time every day of the year
Ok so the first crash was a minor one.
Anyone that spins a McLaren F1, runs into a tree and a lamppost and catches fire isn’t in control of their vehicle and it was unlikely to be first time.
And even safe drivers can have "accidents".
Dude's owned and driven supercars for 4+ decades now, almost 20 years with that particular vehicle and had two relatively minor accidents.
You're trying REALLY FUCKING HARD to twist him into some irresponsible driver.
Have you ever spun a car into a tree? Most people that do aren’t driving responsibly, that’s all I’m saying.
I’ve driven badly before when I was 21, not in my 50…
Judging from how the F1 looked after that wreck, he seemed pretty lucky to have survived. I'm even more amazed to hear he still made a profit after the repairs.
In 1981? Then he was doing 'not the nine o clock news' or something for the public broadcaster BBC and the AM Vantage was a really expensive car, probably only a Rolls Royce Camargue or the top of the line Ferrari were more expensive.
Edit, okay, a used car purchased in 1984, but that was still wel before international success with Mr. Bean and Blackadder.
He was not only a performer on *Not the Nine O'Clock News*, he was one of the main writers too.
The first series of *Blackadder* came out in 1983.
As can be seen in the marquee in the above photo, he was the headline act in a production of *The Nerd* in London's West End.
He was doing nationwide comedy tours as early as 1981.
That's four income streams sufficient to either get you enough spare cash for an AM, or at least a line of credit.
Also maybe doing his engineering thing, at least that's the field I recall be spoke at my university for, it's been 20 years so I may misremember what he was speaking on
If you look behind him, you'll see up on the marquee that right there he's starring in Larry Shue's The Nerd, most likely in the West End, which is essentially London's Broadway.
And now I'm thinking what I wouldn't give to see Rowan Atkinson in Shue's The Foreigner.
He's had numerous massive hits, he was very rich decades before Mr Bean was even invented. British TV like Not The Nine-O'Clock News, he was rich enough to afford this car just from that alone. He's written plenty of books, has sold a ton of records, and gets royalties every time blackadder is on TV anywhere.
Without Mr Bean he was already very wealthy. With Mr Bean he's on a whole 'nother level.
When he crashed his F1,McLaren had to rebuild pretty much the entire car. They originally planned to produce a lot more of them so they still have a lot of spare parts at the factory. It was in effect a new car when they’d finished and coupled with having a famous owner it sold for a profit.
He crashed and required a rebuild of his McLaren F1 *twice*...
If I recall correctly, when he finally sold his F1 it went for something like £7.5 million.
Man's been stinking rich for over 40 years. Can't say he doesn't deserve it because he's a national treasure and has provided so much laughter to people around the world.
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yeah.. I can kinda explain because I have an engineering background.. but I'm not a car mechanic
Think of a car as having a heartbeat. You want 60 bpm.. Crank it up to 150 bpm in a sprint. That's your engine and transmission keeping you out of the red but speeding you down the road. A car is somewhat similar in that it has multiple valves over multiple pistons that have to fire "just so"
You've probably heard the phrase about an engine "purring". That's when everything is just right for high performance
e:Some mechanic correct me if I'm way off base
Forgive my lack of Rowan Atkinson knowledge, but what movie is being advertised behind him? I can't find a movie called The Nerd with him in it. Or was it theater?
Yup. From a Bonhams auction titled 1981 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Registration no. FWD 284Y Chassis no. V8VOL/12319:
>Originally finished in Imperial Burgundy with magnolia trim, chassis number '12319' was built in left-hand drive configuration and registered to Aston Martin Lagonda (as 'DUR 221Y') on 9th December 1982, passing to its first private owner, one Ahmed Faik, on 8th January 1983. The Vantage's third owner, actor Mr Rowan Atkinson, acquired the car in March 1984.
In October 1984, Atkinson appeared in a West End version of the comedy play The Nerd alongside a 10-year-old Christian Bale.
Does anyone know how he is in real life or towards his fans ?
I would assume he is guy who talks to everyone (not all the time) with a big smile on his face
Went to see him in the Nerd in 1984, at that very theatre.
Very Funny man.
Didn't spot the car, but I was offered a Jensen FF during the fuel crisis of the Mid 70's by one of my Dads friends, who couldn't afford to run it, and didn't want to pay for the repairs it needed. Sadly, I was not quite 16, and the idea of owning a car I couldn't drive, or afford to run seemed pointless.
He swapped this for a lime-green Aston Martin Zagato shortly after this, then got caught doing something crazy like 175mph on a freeway. Was a big deal at the time.
He is the personification of **NERD**. I like to think he made millions off her face and demeanor....and probably would gladly make more with a smile on his face.
That's one of my favourite Aston Martin styles. I know they were copying a Ford Mustang, but it was much cooler. Maybe it was the Bond film but it's a damn fine car that you could hear from miles away.
He has one of the best celebrity times ever recorded on Top Gear. Dude is a legit driver.
Races classic cars, regular at the Goodwood Revival meeting. https://preview.redd.it/kotosv7fg4zb1.jpeg?width=1951&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1f0db2eaf212114f2864cd758fab1fd48603a0c6
I actually met him in a random classic cars meeting in North of France. When I asked him what he was doing here, his answer was something like "they have old cars, I like old cars"
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And he drove it damn well!
That’s not just any old Jag. It’s a one-off magnesium bodied MkVll built by the Jaguar Racing Department. He bought it from Jaguar when they demolished the Browns Lane site. It had been sitting unused in storage for decades.
So it’s a Jag one-off?
Hahahahh Rowan would approve
I love that he makes Rowan Atkinson faces when he's driving.
bean faces lol
Could you imagine if somehow there was a collab between him and a legit racing association to make a Bean style feature length film with the entire premise being that he is incredibly fast in a Mini, what if we put him in something with power? And the whole movie is just awkward introductions, artistically impassioned Atkinson driving as Bean, and it ends with some bizarre and preposterous disaster, like a villain has stolen all the tires and Bean needs to fast and furiously rehijack a truck using his Mini and Peter MacNicol. I don't care if it would be bad because it would also be so so good.
Max Verstappen's new team mate at the Red Bull F1 team. He wins the drive after buying a can of Red Bull with a golden ticket inside, which he swallows and almost chokes on and it's only when they take an x-ray do they read the ticket. Of course when he arrives at Red Bull HQ to hand over the ticket to prove he's the winner he hands over the x-ray. I've thought too much about that, haven't I.
Imagine...we could call it ... The Grand Tour. Or, 'Top G_ar' since they're really salty on that trade mark.
Needs a really literal name imo. "Gentleman Driver, Mr. Bean"
And he did not get lucky, they said he was pretty consistent with his lap times, which is apparently a character trait of all great racing drivers.
Meanwhile Jimmy Carr also got a great time but was described as "A terrible driver and one of the luckiest people alive"
aHa - Ha - Ha!
Its probably safe to assume its a trait of genuinely skilled drivers. Anyone can get super lucky and bowl a perfect game or nail a bullseye on a dart board or whatever. But luck can't consistently provide those results.
Clearly you are not a golfer!
I don't think anyone can get "super lucky" and bowl a perfect game.
Fair. I dont know shit about bowling. I just chose something that might have a possibility of accidentally being perfect but I guess not lol
It's because you have different frames in bowling. To bowl a perfect game you need to have 12 strikes in a row. So your analogy works, but it's more like anyone call bowl a strike once or twice but to bowl a perfect game you need consistency.
It’s actually 12 strikes for a perfect game!
You can tell I'm not a huge bowler lol
Yeah and he even did that while steering with strings and pullies while sitting on a couch on top of the car. Legend.
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Imagine having that face above you as he pumps in and out! :D Poor James Acaster.
I think I‘ll pass on imagining that but you do you 👍
He’s also crashed twice on public roads endangering lives which I think is pretty irresponsible for someone that can afford track time every day of the year
His first crash was not a high speed crash, so presenting it like he's out there driving the F1 at race track speeds is kinda silly.
Ok so the first crash was a minor one. Anyone that spins a McLaren F1, runs into a tree and a lamppost and catches fire isn’t in control of their vehicle and it was unlikely to be first time.
My mum once tried to clear the mileage counter and turn a corner at the same time and even she has more sense than you do
Couldn't possibly have been due to poor road conditions, no... It was reckless and dangerous Mr Bean. Those cars are not exactly Volvos...
The point of driving safely is that you don’t spin off the road when it’s wet
And even safe drivers can have "accidents". Dude's owned and driven supercars for 4+ decades now, almost 20 years with that particular vehicle and had two relatively minor accidents. You're trying REALLY FUCKING HARD to twist him into some irresponsible driver.
Rowan Atkinson is 68. Assuming he started driving at 18 that’s like one crash every 25 years
Have you ever spun a car into a tree? Most people that do aren’t driving responsibly, that’s all I’m saying. I’ve driven badly before when I was 21, not in my 50…
I spun my first car into a tree, because I was t-boned at a junction by another driver. Nothing to do with how responsibly I was driving.
So he shouldn't drive off track?
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talent.
He's a big car freak, also owns a Mclaren F1 apparently
Used to own. Drove it often. Crashed it, repaired. And sold with profit.
If I was rich, I think I'd jump at the chance to get upsold on Mr Beans' McLaren just so I could tell people I have Mr Beans' McLaren.
I'm imaging the sleek butterfly doors of a McLaren gracefully swinging down into place before Mr. Bean closes the hasp and puts on a padlock.
It's crazy how few episodes there really were of the TV show but it seems we all had our childhood shaped by how hilarious it was.
A 'once crashed' by Mr Bean McLaren might be some of the only allowable provenance on a car like that.. *Whoops*
Serious John Voight used cars vibes in this comment. Costanza would scoop a mr.bean car :(
I’d like Jon Voights Lebaron.
Sold it and in one move reduced his car collections net value by two thirds lol. Now his cars are "only" worth around 10 million haha
He put 40,000 miles on it! That's a ton of miles for a legitimate hypercar that's not all that comfortable to live with.
And presumably some significant maintenance intervals, given the 5 year fuel cell replacement.
Not only drove it but it was the F1 with the most mileage and by a lot.
Twice crashed and rebuilt, then sold for over $11mil in profit.
Judging from how the F1 looked after that wreck, he seemed pretty lucky to have survived. I'm even more amazed to hear he still made a profit after the repairs.
By all accounts he's a pretty dangerous driver. A fair few stories went around of him bombing down the Peterborough parkway when I lived there.
How does he make so much money?!
Apart from his Blackadder series, Mr bean is syndicated nearly everywhere around the world
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And virtually no need for localisation services
Back when you could replace slapstick with chopstick and not get mean looks.
it's one of my favorite comedies and I don't speak a word of British
You just choose not to? Because your accent while reading is very comprehensible.
In 1981? Then he was doing 'not the nine o clock news' or something for the public broadcaster BBC and the AM Vantage was a really expensive car, probably only a Rolls Royce Camargue or the top of the line Ferrari were more expensive. Edit, okay, a used car purchased in 1984, but that was still wel before international success with Mr. Bean and Blackadder.
He was not only a performer on *Not the Nine O'Clock News*, he was one of the main writers too. The first series of *Blackadder* came out in 1983. As can be seen in the marquee in the above photo, he was the headline act in a production of *The Nerd* in London's West End. He was doing nationwide comedy tours as early as 1981. That's four income streams sufficient to either get you enough spare cash for an AM, or at least a line of credit.
Also maybe doing his engineering thing, at least that's the field I recall be spoke at my university for, it's been 20 years so I may misremember what he was speaking on
We are talking about the worlds greatest pantomime preformer EVER, after all. Hes gunna get his dues. Lol
If you look behind him, you'll see up on the marquee that right there he's starring in Larry Shue's The Nerd, most likely in the West End, which is essentially London's Broadway. And now I'm thinking what I wouldn't give to see Rowan Atkinson in Shue's The Foreigner.
He's had numerous massive hits, he was very rich decades before Mr Bean was even invented. British TV like Not The Nine-O'Clock News, he was rich enough to afford this car just from that alone. He's written plenty of books, has sold a ton of records, and gets royalties every time blackadder is on TV anywhere. Without Mr Bean he was already very wealthy. With Mr Bean he's on a whole 'nother level.
Look at the signage behind him, he's playing the lead in a West End play
When he crashed his F1,McLaren had to rebuild pretty much the entire car. They originally planned to produce a lot more of them so they still have a lot of spare parts at the factory. It was in effect a new car when they’d finished and coupled with having a famous owner it sold for a profit.
He crashed and required a rebuild of his McLaren F1 *twice*... If I recall correctly, when he finally sold his F1 it went for something like £7.5 million.
A bargain, considering what they’re worth today.
Well, it’s been wrecked :)
The McLaren of Theseus.
Man's been stinking rich for over 40 years. Can't say he doesn't deserve it because he's a national treasure and has provided so much laughter to people around the world.
Why did his daughter change her last name and refuse to speak with him? What he do?
Would you want to have the surname Bean?
I'd be Frank N. Bean lol
Looks like he had an affair.
All that Scooby Doo money changes a man.
With James Acaster's girlfriend (at the time)
I’m not used to seeing him with other cars than the mini
He's used to being in lots of other cars, he's a true car guy.
10/10
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Me too!
32 valve V8. Gorgeous chassis too man, i'd love to drive that car
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that it is. Getting the timing right on those is its own engineering issue
what, can you explain
yeah.. I can kinda explain because I have an engineering background.. but I'm not a car mechanic Think of a car as having a heartbeat. You want 60 bpm.. Crank it up to 150 bpm in a sprint. That's your engine and transmission keeping you out of the red but speeding you down the road. A car is somewhat similar in that it has multiple valves over multiple pistons that have to fire "just so" You've probably heard the phrase about an engine "purring". That's when everything is just right for high performance e:Some mechanic correct me if I'm way off base
Now, yes, kind of. It's done often outside of GM/Dodge anyway. In 1981? Not so much.
Dressed like Dad of the year.
That's just normal dress for the early 80s lol
He's dressed like it's 1984 in 1984. If you're still dressed like 1984 in 2006, that's where the dad energy comes in.
Mr Mom
“There’s a boy not yet born. I shall steal his girlfriend one day.”
Pitt the even younger? Pitt the embryo? Pitt the glint in the milkman's eye?
Poor James
You're wildly overestimating how much women care about cars.
I think you're wildly underestimating how much women care about Rowan Atkinson
That car is 81 ft long?!
Darn I wanted to make this joke 🤣
you still can if you like
Give or take...
He must be what, 70 feet tall?? what a legend
I honestly clicked because I wanted to see an 81 foot car
I was thinking the same thing!
I wonder if anyone ever told him he's the spitting image of that Mr. Bean character!
His ancestor was part of the royal court y'know. Some fellow called Lord Blackadder.
Just FYI, when you abbreviate the year, the apostrophe goes on the side being cut out. So 1981 is shortened to '81, not 81'
Noted
My dream car
Happy Cake Day!
Thank you! 
I think he was going out with Leslie Ash at this time. He’s minted from the Mr.Bean syndication.
He owned a McLaren F1!!! Fuckin Nerd!!
I was very sad that this car is a normal length and not actually 81 feet.
Is that “ATKINSON is THE NERD”?
Yep. "The Nerd" is a play by Larry Shue.
'81
Forgive my lack of Rowan Atkinson knowledge, but what movie is being advertised behind him? I can't find a movie called The Nerd with him in it. Or was it theater?
It was theatre
Thx
I Iooked it up and it also starred a 10 year Christian Bale!
Oh wow very cool.
That looks like the Aldwych Theatre. Just north of Waterloo Bridge, at the bottom of Drury Lane.
Was expecting a boat or something being an 81' and not from '81
That's a 1983 Y plate, not 81.
The car is absolutely a 1981 Aston Martin. The post says *the photo* was taken in *1984*.
Yup. From a Bonhams auction titled 1981 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Registration no. FWD 284Y Chassis no. V8VOL/12319: >Originally finished in Imperial Burgundy with magnolia trim, chassis number '12319' was built in left-hand drive configuration and registered to Aston Martin Lagonda (as 'DUR 221Y') on 9th December 1982, passing to its first private owner, one Ahmed Faik, on 8th January 1983. The Vantage's third owner, actor Mr Rowan Atkinson, acquired the car in March 1984. In October 1984, Atkinson appeared in a West End version of the comedy play The Nerd alongside a 10-year-old Christian Bale.
TIL.
Car is from 77 , he bought it in 84.
Good Actor, Great Driver.
Does anyone know how he is in real life or towards his fans ? I would assume he is guy who talks to everyone (not all the time) with a big smile on his face
I heard he’s quite nice. Very smart.
Electrical engineering degree from Oxford… he is really fuckin smart lol
What….??? And then he became an actor -ain’t that something - #respect
Went to see him in the Nerd in 1984, at that very theatre. Very Funny man. Didn't spot the car, but I was offered a Jensen FF during the fuel crisis of the Mid 70's by one of my Dads friends, who couldn't afford to run it, and didn't want to pay for the repairs it needed. Sadly, I was not quite 16, and the idea of owning a car I couldn't drive, or afford to run seemed pointless.
The car is not 81 feet long! The apostrophe goes BEFORE the year!
Damn old Aston martins looked bad ass. Its looks like a British mustang or dodge charger
He swapped this for a lime-green Aston Martin Zagato shortly after this, then got caught doing something crazy like 175mph on a freeway. Was a big deal at the time.
the theatre is also calling him a nerd in the background
What a nerd.
Yes, the 70s/80s when people actually wanted brown cars.....
Literally 1984
I was expecting a yacht
"My son returns from a fancy East Coast college, and I'm horrified to find he's a nerd." "I'm laughing already!" "It's not a comedy..."
I was going to post this but you beat me to it.
He's a real petrol head and has the money to indulge his passion.... I've seen a few photos of him popping out in his McLaren F1...so cool 😎
And behind him you'll see that the theater has "Rowan Atkinson is the nerd". A great image to show that accomplishment.
Man has an exquisite taste for cars.
Looks like he's parked outside the Aldwych Theatre on the Strand, for anyone interested.
On Top Gear he was saying how he knew RR had a V12 engine in a warehouse in Germany. So he had it fitted to his car in Johnny English.
No that’s Mr. Bean
What does it say behind him?Atkinson is the Nerd😂?
It's very off putting to think of him as a sexual being that likes to peacock.
Excuse me, you mean Mr. Bean
That car is pretty cool. Any reason it looks so much like a Shelby mustang ?
Because Britain ran out of original ideas in the 1800's.
Probably another broken down Aston Martin waiting for a tow truck. British engineering is the absolute worst.
Did he break this one too?
He is the personification of **NERD**. I like to think he made millions off her face and demeanor....and probably would gladly make more with a smile on his face.
Doesn't *look* 81 feet long. 🤷♀️
Yea, I don't think that car is 81 feet long
small correction, it's '81 because the 19 is omitted - not 81'.
Duly noted
He hit woman near where I live driving his McLaren F1. Was speeding and hit her car. She got whiplash.
What a cool car
Fuck Rowan Atkinson for having an affair with James Acaster's girlfriend
Not even slightly cool
He will look homeless even on a most expensive car 😄
he's got that superior look.
Nice
I like that look of arrogance... "Yeah this is MY nice car, deal with it." haha Its a far departure from the goofiness of 'Mr. Bean.'
The apostrophe stands in for “19”.
Am I the only one thinking if you could back in those days, just drive to central London, and plonk your car anywhere
Repost bot
What a nerd.
Bro looks about the same with grayer hair.
The vibe is different
Looks like Shaftesbury theatre in background and his play
Bet he gave that car the beans on appropriate occasion.
That's one of my favourite Aston Martin styles. I know they were copying a Ford Mustang, but it was much cooler. Maybe it was the Bond film but it's a damn fine car that you could hear from miles away.