Michael Jordan’s 1997 Ferrari 550 Maranello is heading to auction, but calling it a celebrity-owned supercar barely scratches the surface. This is the red Ferrari Jordan drove during the final years of the Chicago Bulls dynasty, a car that later inspired one of the most famous Air Jordan sneakers ever made. Finished in Rosso Barchetta with tan leather, chrome Speedline wheels, and an Illinois “MJ 5” vanity plate, it still looks unmistakably like the machine associated with basketball’s biggest star.
Chassis 108712 has covered roughly 6,400 miles and is now expected to bring between $700,000 and $1.3 million. Joopiter will open bidding in September, giving collectors a chance to own a Ferrari with an extraordinary link to both sports and sneaker history.
The 550 Maranello was special even before Jordan got behind its wheel. Ferrari created it as a return to the front-engined V12 grand tourer, bringing back a layout that had defined some of the marque’s greatest road cars after years of mid-engined flagships. Its 5.5-liter naturally aspirated V12 produces 485 horsepower and works with a six-speed gated manual transmission, enough to push the car to a claimed 199 mph.
Only 3,083 examples were built, making this particular Ferrari desirable on its own. Jordan, however, needed the car to be made a little more accommodating because of his 6-foot-6 frame, as pointed out by the New York Times. The driver’s seat received extended rails and slimmer padding, allowing him to sit farther back than a standard 550 Maranello would permit.
Jordan reportedly used the Ferrari as a genuine daily part of his superstar life, driving it to Bulls games, practices, and public appearances. Its most memorable appearance came after the Bulls captured their fifth championship, when Jordan was photographed leaving the United Center in the red Ferrari with a cigar in hand and the trophy nearby. The car later gained another layer of fame when Nike designer Tinker Hatfield looked to it for inspiration while creating the Air Jordan XIV.
The sneaker incorporated cues that recalled the Ferrari, including quilted leather, tire-tread details, sculpted air vents, and a shield-like Jumpman emblem inspired by the prancing horse. Jordan then wore the Ferrari-inspired shoes during the following year’s NBA Finals. With the championship-winning jumper over Bryon Russell, the car’s influence became permanently linked to one of the most iconic moments of Jordan’s career.
The Ferrari eventually left Jordan’s ownership and seemingly vanished, spending more than two decades away from the public eye. Curated co-founder John Temerian spent roughly 10 years trying to track it down, even turning to private investigators during the search. He’s the same person who managed to find Jordan’s iconic Ferrari 512 TR after being lost for 15 years. The breakthrough came when a partial chassis number surfaced on an old online forum, allowing researchers to reconstruct the Ferrari’s full VIN and follow its trail through historical dealer records.
They eventually discovered the car with a longtime private owner in California, who had never publicly advertised it for sale. Temerian bought it sight unseen and brought it back to Chicago, where the Ferrari was reunited with the city and legacy that made it famous. Even better, original paperwork was found in the trunk, including Jordan’s 1997 Illinois title, while the factory warranty card still carries his signature and address.