Rowan Atkinson supercar costs a fortune to repair

Rowan Atkinson's supercar cost £910,000 to repair after a 2011 smash.

The Johnny English star was hospitalised after crashing his luxury McLaren F1 vehicle, which spun off the road and hit a tree and a road sign before catching fire.

Atkinson sustained a fractured shoulder blade in the Cambridgeshire crash, but he set about consulting experts to have his motor, which is reported to be worth up to £3.5 million, fixed.

The massive repair bill is three times higher than the most expensive claim previously documented - but Atkinson admits he was desperate for the vehicle to be restored.

He tells Classic & Sports Car magazine getting behind the wheel again was like "putting a familiar sweater on", adding, "I'm not a collector. I don't like the toy cupboard syndrome that causes so many good cars to evaporate.

"It depresses me that they are hidden away like investment art, or gold ingots in a Swiss vault. The McLaren is just so usable, it is a crime not to use it. No gritted teeth, you just get in and drive."