SWNS_ROWAN_F1_SOLD_09

Rowan Atkinson pictured in the advert for his McLaren F1. See swns story SWROWAN. Rowan Atkinson has made a multi-million profit after selling the £8 million supercar he famously crashed twice in one of the UK’s biggest ever deals. The comic actor bought his beloved McLaren F1 in 1997 for around £540,000 – a staggering figure at the time. In 2011, after crashing into a hedge in Oxfordshire, his insurance company was handed what a £910,000 repair bill in what is thought to be the biggest ever single car insurance claim. But while most cars would lose value when they are involved in a serious crash, the 240mph F1 is different and its price has continued to rise.Atkinson recently decided it was time to sell up after the F1 became “a thing of value” so he put it on the market with specialist car dealer Taylor & Crawley.David Clark, boss of Taylor & Crawley and the man who sold Atkinson the F1, confirmed he has sold it. 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.”Mr Clark, a former sales and marketing director at McLaren, would not reveal the price paid by the unknown Brit.