Whenever I jump into my Lotus Elise Series 1, I’m reminded that even at 6 feet tall, it’s already a struggle to get comfortable. When you’re 7 feet 1 inch tall and can’t fit comfortably in a Lamborghini Countach without sitting on a padded mat, there’s really only one solution – commission your own supercar from scratch. That’s exactly what NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain did in 1986, spending a reported $750,000 to create the Searcher 1, a one-off Le Mans-inspired machine built specifically to accommodate his towering frame. This piece of automotive history is currently up for auction at Julien’s Auctions here with an estimate of $300,000-$500,000, and bidding currently sits at $200,000. Located in Los Angeles, California, this is a chance to own perhaps the most bespoke supercar ever created for a celebrity. Thanks to Mitchell G. for the tip!
The Searcher 1 was a proper engineering exercise undertaken by some of the best names in motorsport. Chamberlain commissioned Peter Bohanna, the designer behind vehicles for James Bond films, to pen the initial design using a wooden buck before refining the shape in a wind tunnel. The chassis work was then handed to Lyncar Motors Ltd in England, whose founder Martin Slater had worked with Lola and McLaren on Le Mans endurance racers. The result was an aluminium monocoque chassis with riveted panels over a tubular steel frame, weighing just 3,000 pounds despite its stretched proportions. The interior was extended six inches beyond normal dimensions, with custom pedal placement, racing-style four-point harnesses, and every surface wrapped in Italian glove leather. Aircraft-style instrumentation combined analogue dials with early digital displays for speed and revs, cutting-edge technology for 1986.
Under the bonnet sits a General Motors marine block V8 mated to a BMW ZF five-speed transmission (based on the BMW M1) and fitted with a custom-built axial flow supercharger, producing 467 horsepower. The car is geared for a theoretical top speed exceeding 200mph, though Chamberlain reportedly only drove it to triple digits once on a private airstrip before declaring it “fast enough.” The wheels are custom centre-lock Lola-type designs, whilst the brakes feature AP four-pot aluminium callipers with vented iron rotors. The Momo steering wheel, embroidered custom headrests, and scalloped door frames to clear Chamberlain’s knees all speak to the obsessive attention to detail. After Chamberlain’s death, his estate donated the Searcher 1 to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, complete with full documentation, technical drawings, and receipts from builder Richard Paul showing the original parts and cheques signed by Chamberlain himself. Maintaining something like this will be a challenge given its uniqueness – with bespoke components throughout and no spares network, any mechanical issues would require custom fabrication or sourcing parts from various donor vehicles.
The car has covered just 3,898 miles since it was built, spending most of its life as a display piece rather than being driven in anger. I have a weakness for weird and Le Mans-inspired race cars, and this would definitely be interesting to me. With its combination of motorsport engineering, Hollywood flair, and NBA royalty provenance, the Searcher 1 represents a unique moment when money, ambition, and necessity collided to create something truly one-of-a-kind. So would this bespoke giant-sized supercar tempt you, or is it destined to remain a museum piece rather than something you’d actually drive?
The engine is rear-mid mounted, so not under the bonnet…
An interesting, weird find. Not sure how much Chamberlain’s ownership will influence the price; those of us who remember him are aging.
Wonder how a shorter person would fit in there? I bet I’d need a booster seat …
Maybe make it into a 4 passenger?
Like an Espada!
Had an Espada customer. Sure was fun testing the new paint on the highway early in the morning before the go to workers got on it.
Shaq where you at? Most of the photos look very old.
Yeah – some of them look like they were taken in the Midwest.
Buyers premium 28%.
Its a museum piece!
For me? I wouldn’t need to drive one of these…. I would just like to sit in it and go through the gears…..at 73, that is enough for me!!! ( or maybe and audio disc attached to headphones for some realistic motor sounds)
I never stopped making those noises with my mouth. Sometimes the old ways are the best ways.
I’m 6’8” and willingly drive anything. Actually like little cars for the flipibility. But, I dream of something like this.
It’s a pretty cool piece of automotive history, although I think you’d spend a lot of time convincing people it’s not a kit car.
in todays money, over $2,000,000, that’s the interior you come up with? Pathetic.
Not a supercharge engine in photo.
Yes, my thoughts also. Where is the supercharger? It’s not tucked under the carburetor to suck through forced into the carb. So I’m guessing that it has been removed and the description is an original. Needless to say that the “auction house’ has no clue. False advertising! Cool car but too much money for something I will not fit in. Probably can’t even reach the pedals!
Only Elliot, the BF writer, talks about a supercharger. The auction site listing does not.
You’d better be athletic to get in and out of it.
I spy a couple of Fiero parts in the interior build up picture.
Only put 100 miles on it? Probably had a hard time getting in and out of the thing because his hips were giving him problems by the time he could blow that much money.
If it were my $2,000,000 I’d have had a hydraulically operated seat that would deploy and then sit me into the car nice and easy like.
Interior? Meh.
The car seems to have come to an ignominious resting place in a low rent show room out in middle America somewhere far from Wilt’s haunts. Wonder how it ended up there?
The build sheet mentions a supercharger twice. Since it’s not visible in the photos, one must presume that it’s referring to the 700 HP version of the engine, which Wilt decided not to use.
Wilt should have used the money to get an orthopedic surgeon to fix his hips and knees (maybe replacements). RIP Wilt :-(
I’ve seen this car in the flesh about two years ago. I was brokering several cars for the son of a man who owned a well known local garage in the Springfield, MA area. They had a race team, ran the Camel series, among others. The shots where the car is in a show room is at that garage.
When I saw the car, it was in need of a lot! The seats were shot (actually looked like worn vinyl, not leather .. ?) It was not running and apparently seized, wouldn’t turn by hand. There were loose body panels and I hate to say that I wasn’t impressed. I’ll see how many pictures I can attach.
I couldn’t really open the door as there wasn’t enough room with the other cars in the showroom. They would rent the space for winter storage. Here’s a shot of the interior.
I just checked the auction .. it’s up to $250,000. The buyer (if it hits reserve .. so far showing reserve not met) may be surprised to find the interior needs to be completely redone. I’m not sure why the Basketball Museum has decided to let it go … maybe they need the money?
But in answer to the question – How much is Wilt “The Stilt” Chamberlain’s name worth? … Darn close to $250,000 as I don’t see the car, in it’s current condition, fetching much more than $20,000 without his provenance.
The brass plaque that was shown outside the car when at the museum was in the car.
Here’s the plaque.
Very cool ID plate. Most of mine just say Ford.