The classic Mini is to Mr. Bean what an ice cream cone is to a 10-year-old! Mr. Bean and his little car have been together throughout the series, on various adventures, some of which truly tickle you pink. But the yellow one you've seen on television isn't the only one. In fact, there was an orange one too. This in-depth story focuses largely on the significance of this green car that made us all want one.
Mr. Bean's Minis were not built by the manufacturer for the show in particular. What makes this car special is not the unique preparations carried out by the company, but the success of the series and the role that the car has played in it.
We've got to hand it to Rowan Atkinson himself, and Richard Curtis for having come up with a car character as iconic as this one - and this includes everything, from the clothes he wore, and his Teddy to the body language he used to represent Mr. Bean.
It all reflects the sheer talent of those instrumental in the production of this series. The show spoke clearly about Mr. Bean's personality, which even drove Rowan to become the celebrity he is today. They created magic with Mr. Bean.
Reasons Why The Mini Was So Important To Rowan
The Mini became an important part of the series for multiple reasons; one of the first of the many being Rowan Atkinson was not just an actor, but one with a deep-dyed interest in cars. Having owned iconic supercars, like the McLaren F1, and having raced in cars for original races, the Mini, being driven by him, became a great deal for gearheads as well.
In fact, to this day, he can still be spotted at the Goodwood Revival, racing classic cars for fun. This is partly why there was so much passion poured into making the little car an integral part of the show.
Rowan also chose the car himself, along with the colors, because the car had to look funny, and also because he learned how to drive in his mother's Morris Minor back in his heyday. He chose the color because he wanted Mr. Bean's car to be unique. He wanted it to be different from Minis on the road.
Mr. Bean Drove More Than Just One Mini
Most of us know Mr. Bean's Mini as the Citron yellow Mini with a black hood. However, there's more to this little car than most of you would be aware of, like the fact that Mr. Bean drove up to six Minis for the series and movies, mainly because a lot of the Minis were destroyed in the making of Mr. Bean.
Also, a lot of parts were removed from models used earlier and put into cars during the making of the series. The biggest question is, what was that exact Mini Mr. Bean drove on-screen? Was it a classic Mini Cooper, or something else?
Mr. Bean's Real Mini That Earned Global Status
Indeed, the pilot episode of the series started off with an orange Mini, but it's the car that followed that turned immensely famous. The car all of us closely relate to when we speak of Mr. Bean, is the 1977 Leyland Cars Mini 1000 Mark lV, painted in Austin Citron Green, with the hood painted matt black, while the car's registration plate read "SLW 287R".
There were certain parts from the orange Mini that were removed and fixed into the green models, some of which included the seats, carpet, and steering wheel cover.
Mr. Bean's Mini Made Many Appearances
In the "Mr. Bean Goes To Town" episode, the green little car crashes into a lot of waste containers, right in front of Mr. Bean's apartment, as he arrives with a TV strapped to the Mini's roof with the help of a few ropes, and climbing out for him becomes a task as the ropes have also closed the doors tight.
In the "Trouble with Mr. Bean" episode, Mr. Bean had to drive to the dentist for a tooth-filling. Having been a little behind his schedule, he decides to dress up and brush his teeth on the way, in the Mini. To put on his clothes, he moves to the back seat and starts steering the car with his feet, while using the side mirror as a reflection while brushing.
In one of the episodes, Mr. Bean is seen trying to use an ambulance's battery to jump-start his Mini, and this all happens while the paramedics are attending to the man Mr. Bean had electrocuted. His Mini successfully starts, while the ambulance gives up its ghost when the paramedics jump back on-board.
That One Iconic Episode Of Mr. Bean
The "Do-It-Yourself Mr. Bean" episode remains engrained in the memories of many. It includes Mr. Bean driving down to the department store, where he makes purchases during the New Year's Day sale.
He picks up tins of paint, mops, brushes, and an armchair, the last of which is strapped on to the roof of the Mini, and he quickly realizes there's no more room for him to fit in. He pulls off one of the most hilarious stunts ever by placing a brick ahead of the front wheels, with a strong thread tied to it. He does this to basically hold the Mini in place until he releases the handbrake.
A tin of paint with a thread attached to it is used to work the clutch. He puts the car into gear, steps up on to the roof, and plonks himself down on the armchair, from where he controls the wheels with threads again and uses a mop tied to a broom to operate the gas and the brakes.
To get started, he pulls the thread attached to the brick ahead of the front wheel with his teeth, and the car jerks ahead, but gets going nevertheless. But after he loses control over the accelerator pedal, he drives straight into the back of a truck full of pillows.
Source: Mini