Rowan Atkinson’s Lancia Delta Integrale for sale

A rare rally-bred hot hatch – a Lancia Delta Integrale – owned by car enthusiast, comedian and actor Rowan Atikinson is due to be auctioned in the UK next month.

It’s expected to sell for £65,000 ($AU116,200) to £75,000 ($AU134,100).

Listed by Silverstone Auctions, this 1993 Lancia Delta (officially known as the HF Integrale Evo II) is currently owned by Rowan Atkinson – the star of comedies such as Blackadder, Mr Bean and Johnny English.

The listing claims Mr Atkinson purchased the Italian all-wheel-drive hot hatch in May 2021, subsequently driving it for little more than 2000 kilometres before deciding to sell the car.

The Lancia Delta hatchback was never sold in Australia, but it became a global motorsports icon thanks to its success in the World Rally Championship, helping the Italian car-maker to win six straight manufacturer’s titles from 1987 until 1992 – a record which stands today.

After being revealed in 1979, the first-generation Lancia Delta went through a number of changes across the course of its 14-year life, culminating in the 1993 launch of the HF Integrale Evo II variant.

Powered by a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, the Lancia Delta HF Integrale Evo II produced up to 158kW and 314Nm in road-going trim, which was delivered to all four wheels through a five-speed manual transmission.

All examples of the hot hatch were built for right-hand traffic markets, although Mr Atkinson’s car was first delivered to Japan (a country which drives on the left) before being imported to the UK in 2011.

This Lancia Delta is one of many iconic cars with racing heritage to have been owned by Mr Atkinson.

The McLaren F1 is possibly Mr Atkinson's most well-known car, which the actor purchased in 1997 for £640,000 ($AU2.07 million today).

Despite a minor collision in 1999 and a fiery crash in 2011 – which resulted in a £910,000 ($AU1.63 million) insurance payout, reportedly the largest in UK history at the time – Mr Atkinson’s McLaren F1 was sold in 2015.

Reports suggested the supercar had sold for its £8 million ($AU16 million) asking price, setting a new price record for the model.

Other cars previously owned by the Mr Bean star include a Honda NSX and Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, while the actor has also raced an Aston Martin Vantage V8 and a US-made 1964 Ford Falcon Sprint – which sold last year for £56,250 ($AU100,600).

Rowan Atkinson’s Lancia Delta Integrale is due to be auctioned by Silverstone Auctions on 25 February (UK time) at the Race Retro Show.