Mr Bean’s Mini is a TV prop as iconic Arkwright’s till or Dr Who’s tardis and this particular example is particularly unique, as it once belonged to Rowan Atkinson’s son.
‘It’s the closest there has ever been to Mr Bean’s actual Mini!’ says Practical Classics editor Danny Hopkins. ‘Having been owned by the Atkinson’s family, we have bought the car as a bit of a wreck. It needs a lot of work, which we can’t wait to do on the Discovery Live Stage.’
With preparation on the car well underway, there is welding. And lots of it! This will be done ahead of the show in November and the shell will be painted by CBR Motorbodies. Many parts are required so the team has partnered with Mini Spares Midlands, part of the David Manners Group.
The repair list is long, and consists of everything from panels to a brake conversion to take the smaller 10 inch wheels, an early dash conversion, trim and bushes. Mini Spares Midlands is performing the role of a one-stop shop for everything Practical Classics needs for the project – including the modifications to make it look like the 1977 mini from the TV series.
While the shell is away to be sorted pre-show, all the mechanicals will receive complete overhaul. Care and organisation will be key, as the next time all the components will be united will be live on stage at the NEC. Anything that can be refurbished will be cleaned, painted, re-bushed and packaged. Trial fitting will be essential where possible. Then, it’ll be a case of loading all the constituent parts into the back of a van, the shell onto a trailer, and taking the whole lot to the NEC.
Once rebuilt on stage, the car will be presented to the crowds of onlookers, resplendent in its applejack paint job and dinky 10-inch wheels.
