How Idris Elba purchased his first car at 14

Idris – who grew up in London – said: ‘I bought my first car from The Loot at 14 and used to drive it school

IdrisElba has revealed he purchased his first car at 14 and drove it to school several times despite being under the legal driving age in the UK.

The Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom star has revealed that he got away with driving the vehicle while under the legal age to drive in the UK – which is 17 – because he was tall and had the build of a young adult even as a teenager.

Idris – who grew up in London – said: ‘I bought my first car from The Loot at 14 and used to drive it to school. My mum and dad didn’t know and I got away with it as I looked older as I was tall and I had a beard!’

The actor and DJ – who eventually passed his test, aged 21 – recently teamed up with Jaguar to take part in a 700-mile drive from London to Berlin, testing the new Jaguar XE’s fuel economy and technology.

During the drive, 42-year old Idris, revealed how he has always loved cars and recalled the famous tale of how he lived in a van while he was trying to make it as an actor and was in his vehicle when he first found out he had been cast as Russell ‘Stringer’ Bell in The Wire.

Speaking during his trip, he said: ‘I was living out of a van when I got the call to say I’d got the part in The Wire and used my first pay cheque to buy a car.’

Idris’ first film with Jaguar is available to watch now on YouTube and fans can join in the conversation on Twitter via the hashtag #IdrisXERoadTrip.

Another short film will be released on February 15 and the final story will be shared from February 22.