'Mr Bean' star Rowan Atkinson's 1993 Lancia Delta Integrale sells for whopping £87,000 at auction

Actor Rowan Atkinson's 1993 Lancia Delta Integrale was sold for £87,000 at an auction last week.

"Mr. Bean" famed star's 1993 Lancia HF Integrale Evo II was put up for sale by Silverstone Auctions at the Race Retro Show, Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire on Saturday.

The vehicle was estimated to sell for anything between £65,000 to £75,000, however, it exceeded the expectations and sold for a grand total amount of £87,000.

It was used as the personal car of actor and comedian Atkinson. He is also a collector and a race driver. Atkinson's Evoluzione II model which has an interesting history, is of a rare colour and had very low mileage.

The car's current condition

The car had covered only over 87,000 km when it was purchased by the well-known comedian and actor in May 2021. Despite being used to his heart's content, the car's total mileage still remains below 90,000 km, the auction listing says.

Atkinson has owned many interesting cars over the years and is known to be 'particularly meticulous' when it comes to looking after his cars. According to the history files, Atkinson had spent 'significant' money to make sure the Lancia was kept in a great condition.

According to the invoice details, Atkinson serviced the car shortly after his purchase in 2021 which costed him £2,500, he also did a light paint refresh shortly afterwards (£1,800), and a large service with any minor items attended to in 2022 at a cost of £5,500.

The car was supplied with a comprehensive history file, including a Japanese service history, its V5C and a current MOT. It is also in great condition - ready to be enjoyed and driven.

History of the car

The first-generation Lancia Delta had a long life as both a humble economy car as well as a rally special. The 1993 Lancia HF Integrale Evo II was first seen at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1979. It is best known for its domination of the World Rally Championship in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

The first Evoluzione cars, which were constantly being developed, were built at the end of 1991 and continued through 1992, and these Evo models were to be the final homologation cars built for the Lancia Rally team competing under the Martini Racing banner.

A further development of the HF Integrale, known as the Evo II, arrived in June 1993 and featured an updated version of the 2-litre, 16-valve turbo engine producing a little more power, 215bhp. The Evo II HF Integrale is now considered by the best of the two models, and is preferred by many.

The car up for auction was originally sold in Japan, and was then imported to the U.K. in 2011 with all duties paid. It was chosen for its rare and appealing colour known as "Lord Blue."

The market for Integrales of all types continues to grow. Atkinson's well-looked after model which comes in a subtle shade of dark blue, low mileage, and has celebrity provenance is certainly a good pick.

Some of the other cars owned by Aktinson include a 1991 Mercedes-Benz 500E which was auctioned in the year 2019, and a McLaren F1 model which was purchased in brand new condition from the factory in 1997. It was later put up for sale in 2015 after two crashes.

Meanwhile, a vehicle known as Land Rover Defender 110, which was first driven by Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, was recently sold for a record-breaking £123,750 at an auction. It was put up for sale by Silverstone Auctions and was estimated to fetch around £50,000 and £70,000.