Rowan Atkinson’s Lancia Delta Integrale going under the hammer

A Lancia Delta Integrale owned by actor Rowan Atkinson is coming up for auction next month.

The Delta, a famed ‘HF Integrale Evoluzione II’ model known for its rally pedigree, has been owned by the Mr Bean star since since May 2021, with Atkinson adding around 3,000km (1,864 miles) to the car during his time with it, and now displays 90,000km (55,923 miles) on the odometer. Silverstone Auctions, who is selling the car, says the actor has “enjoyed many happy hours in the car”.

The Lancia Delta shot to fame for its domination of the World Rally Championship in the late 1980s and 1990s, with Evoluzione – or ‘Evo’ as the name is usually shortened to – being the road-going homologation models that enabled Lancia to meet the conditions for motorsport.

The Evo II model arrived in June 1993, and is widely considered as the ‘one to have’. Featuring an uprated engine, power from its 2.0-litre turbocharged engine was increased to 215bhp.

Rowan Atkinson’s example was originally supplied to Japan, before being imported to the UK in 2011. It’s painted in Lord Blue, a rare colour for the Integrale.

Silverstone Auctions says the car is ‘supplied with a comprehensive history file’ and is ‘ready to be enjoyed and driven as it should be’.

Estimated to sell for £65,000 to £75,000, the Lancia is being sold at the Race Retro Show at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, on February 25.

Rowan Atkinson is well-known for his love of cars, with the star buying one of the 106 McLaren F1s – now one of the most valuable cars – produced when new in 1997, and famously crashing it twice. He sold the F1 in 2015 for a reported £8m, with more recent cars auctioned off by the star including a Mercedes 500 E and Lancia Thema 8.32.