by Ed Fortune
Cult classic comedy Mr Bean enjoys a wide variety of iconic, often-repeated skits, thanks in part to its reliance on slapstick, clownish humour. One of the most striking scenes comes from the episode ‘Do-It-Yourself’, in which the titular Mr Bean straps an armchair to the top of an Austin Citron Green BL Mini 1000 and steers the car via the roof.
Those lovely folk of Scalextric have decided to celebrate this gloriously silly piece of TV with the C4334 Mr Bean Mini – Do It Yourself pack. That’s a version of the car you use in a slot-racing track. It’s very, very green. It’s also a well-put-together and realistic-looking Mini 1000. Glued to the top is the famous Mr Bean, mop in one hand and rope in the other. The model itself is surprisingly screen accurate; you can see the rope passes through the steering wheel inside the car.
It’s also a realistic-looking version of the rubber-faced Rowan Atkinson, as this is a plastic-faced Mr Bean. Close enough.
On the track, this is a very silly bit of fun. The car’s lights turn on, and it’s compatible with the Spark Plug app if you’ve gone digital with your track. The blade is easy to change, and more importantly, it goes pretty fast. We expected it to be a little bit top heavy and it’s not really though it is tall, which can cause its own chaos. It’s fun, especially if you’re racing it against something like the Only Fools and Horses Reliant Robin.
Scalextric purists might wonder why you’d have Mr Bean in your collection of slot race cars; surely Mr Bean has never been on a race track? Well, funnily enough, this car has. The stunt was so popular that Mr Bean actor Rowan Atkinson would go on to repeat the trick at the 2009 Goodwood Revival motor show with the aid of a cunningly disguised driver in the actual car. So it’s a legitimate race car. Sort of.
Scalextric’s Mr Bean Do-It-Yourself set is a great last-minute gift for Father’s Day or as a treat for yourself. It looks nice on the shelf, but it’s also fun to drive.
