30 years after the premiere of the TV comics series, the famous Citron Yellow MINI Mark III driven by the equally famous Mr. Bean is now a proud part of the BMW Group Classic collection. Engineer and all-time automotive passionate Rowan Atkinson made Mr. Bean so popular, but equally it can be said that Mr. Bean also made the classic MINI famous. There couldn’t have been any better match between the funny star of the TV series and the little British model.
The contrast was visible in any aspects, from the height of Mr. Bean to the micro-size of his MINI, from his rather tarnished, dull and repetitive outfit to the distinctive black engine bonnet and the visually attracting, striking Citron yellow paintwork of the MINI.
Until the series was aired for the first time of the New Year’s Day in 1990, the third generation of the MINI, also known as the Mk. III (Mark III), was not that visible in the automotive landscape, even though it had been introduced in 1974.
The 16-year old MINI only became famous and sort of a laitmotif (just like Teddy toy bear, for example) after Rowan Atkinson made it famous with beloved comic character. The MINI Mark III gained popularity as it was basically promoted as an easy-to-drive car, perfect for the city.
Mr. Bean’s charming MINI, now belonging to BMW Group Classic, is powered by a faithful 1.0-liter 4-cylinder engine which develops just 27 kW / 34 PS (33 hp). But, to be honest, that was just about spot on for Mr. Bean.
Even though the cargo space was limited due to its size, this eventually did not stop Mr. Bean from stuffing it with a bunch of DIY stuff and then driving it from the roof while sitting in a newly purchased armchair and using a “complicated” maneuvering contraption.
Also, to everyone’s amusement, the MINI also featured a detachable steering wheel and a padlock. In this way, Mr. Bean made sure his beloved yellow car kept safe and away from “possible” thieves.
