Mr Bean's car collection surprises many people

BMW 328 Roadster 1939

The oldest car in Atkinson's collection is a 1939 BMW 328 Roadster. This stylish BMW sports car was produced for only five years, from 1936, ending in 1940 when the outbreak of World War II interrupted BMW's car production.

With a simple design that reduced the weight to just 816kg, along with a 2.0L I6 engine with a capacity of 79 horsepower, the car won the legendary Mille Miglia sports car race. Decades later, Rowan Atkinson himself drove his silver BMW 328 Roadster in the Mille Miglia race in 2011.

Jaguar Mark VII 1951

The second oldest car Rowan Atkinson owned was the Jaguar Mark VII, which he raced for many years, winning numerous titles on the track. British car manufacturer Jaguar produced the Mark VII between 1950 and 1956. And Mr Bean's Mark VII was the first Jaguar to be offered with an automatic transmission.

Ford Falcon Sprint 1964

The next car on the list is the Ford Falcon Sprint, named after the first Sprint package offered for the 1964 model year. The Sprint package swapped out the Falcon’s 3.3L I6 engine for the 4.3L V8 used in the Fairlane. The car also saw a lot of racing time, but unfortunately crashed during the 2014 Goodwood Revival. After making the necessary repairs, Atkinson auctioned the Ford Falcon Sprint for $77,000.

Aston Martin V8 Vantage 1977

After starring in the Johnny English spy action comedy series, it's no surprise that Atkinson's taste in cars has something to do with Bond. This particular V8 Vantage even made an appearance in the third Johnny English film in 2018.

This Aston Martin V8 Vantage is powered by a 5.3L V8 engine that produces 390 horsepower. As a high-performance version of the Aston Martin V8, it was hailed as "Britain's first supercar" when it was first introduced. After being discontinued in 1989, Aston Martin brought back the V8 Vantage name twice more, in 2005 and 2018.

McLaren F1 1997

Rowan Atkinson is one of the lucky few to own one of the 72 McLaren F1s ever made. His journey to owning the plum-red F1 was a bumpy one. In 1999, just two years after buying the car, he crashed his car into the back of another car and damaged the roof.

A much more serious accident occurred in 2011. Atkinson crashed into a tree and a road sign, caught fire, and required over $1 million worth of repairs. Despite all these repairs, the value of the McLaren F1 increased rapidly, and when he finally decided to part with it in 2015, he sold it for $12.2 million through a private dealer.

Land Rover Defender 110 Heritage 1998

The “Heritage” is a special edition of the Land Rover Defender, created to recall the origins of Land Rover in the 1940s. The Defender Heritage comes in both 90 and 110 versions. The vehicle is equipped with a 2.2L Td5 turbocharged diesel engine with a capacity of 122 horsepower.

Mr Bean’s Defender 110 Heritage is finished in a light turquoise colour. Other aesthetic touches have been added to recall the look of the Series I Defender from the late 1940s, such as body-coloured steel rims and a metal mesh grille.

Honda NSX 2002

The Honda NSX is the only Japanese brand car in Atkinson’s garage. It’s a fast, sleek sports car that combines striking looks with impressive performance. The first-generation Honda NSX was produced from 1990 to 2005, then went on hiatus for a decade before being revived in 2016 for a second generation that lasted seven years.

The 2002 Honda NSX was updated with a number of design changes to comply with the new regulations, including fixed headlights, a lengthened front bumper, and slightly wider rear tires to complement the revised suspension, while also increasing competition with European sports cars.

Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead 2011

The Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead was produced from 2007 to 2016, based on both the Phantom and the 100EX, a concept car created to celebrate Rolls-Royce's centenary in 2004. As a luxury convertible grand tourer, the Drophead Phantom also gained attention when it was used as part of the closing ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Atkinson's Phantom Drophead was unlike any other. He replaced the 6.7L V12 with a 9.0L V16 (also used in the 100EX). He also drove a Phantom Coupe equipped with the same engine in Johnny English Reborn, the second film in the series.

Bentley Mulsanne Birkin 2014

Continuing the theme of ultra-luxury cars is a particularly rare version of the Bentley Mulsanne called the Birkin Edition. The Mulsanne Birkin is not named after the famous Hermes handbag, but is a tribute to racing driver Tim Birkin (one of the members of the Bentley Boys).

The Mulsanne Birkin comes with an upgraded comfort and entertainment package as standard (including rear screens, a Naim sound system and a Wi-Fi hotspot). Only 22 will be built, exclusively for the European market. Each car has a numbered plaque on the door sill.

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG 2014

The most recent car in Rowan Atkinson’s garage was the SLS AMG, which was produced for five years (2010-2015). The first Mercedes-Benz produced by the Mercedes-AMG division with the input of former F1 driver David Coulthard, as a successor to the SLR McLaren. The acronym SLS stands for “Super Leicht Sport”.

Not much is known about Atkinson’s Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. But one thing we do know is that the stunning red paint is called “Le Mans Red,” named after the 24 Hours of LeMans race.